Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.

For more information about the legislative process, see here.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 29, 2020 NH SB 7 Establishes the "Secure Modern Accurate Registration Technology (SMART) Act" Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (15 - 9)
June 16, 2020 NH HB 1672 Authorizes Voting by Mail in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10)
June 14, 2020 IA HF 2643 Establishes a General Fund Budget and Limits Actions of County Auditors Regarding Absentee Ballot Requests Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
June 13, 2020 IA HF 2486 Requires the Secretary of State to Receive Legislative Consent Prior to Sending Absentee Ballot Requests Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 16)
June 11, 2020 CA AB 860 Authorizes Vote By Mail Absentee Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7)
June 11, 2020 NC HB 1169 Establishes Expedited Vote-By-Mail System in the 2020 General Election Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12)
June 10, 2020 PA HB 2502 Requires Department of State to Publish Presidential Primary Report Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 0)
June 2, 2020 VT S 348 Authorizes Mail-In Absentee Voting for the 2020 General Election Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
May 27, 2020 OH HB 272 Prohibits State Officials From Changing the Time and Place of an Election Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
May 22, 2020 IL SB 1863 Expands Absentee Voting for the Upcoming General Election Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 19)
May 7, 2020 MN HF 3429 Appropriates Funds and Establishes Procedures for Safe State Primaries and General Elections Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 1)
April 22, 2020 VA HB 1255 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Create an Independent Redistricting Commission Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
April 22, 2020 VA HB 207 Establishes Permanent Absentee Voter List Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
April 16, 2020 UT HB 3006 Amends the Election Code to Provide for 2020 Primary Election Exclusively by Mail Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 0)
April 15, 2020 KY HB 351 Increases Taxes on Tobacco Products and Authorizes the Expansion of Absentee Voting Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
April 14, 2020 KY HB 336 Amends the Time Frame That Gubernatorial Candidates Can Announce Running Mates Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
March 30, 2020 SD HB 1298 Amends the Date of the State Primary Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 5)
March 25, 2020 OH HB 197 Establishes Relief Provisions in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 0)
March 12, 2020 GA SB 463 Amends Election Laws Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 19)
March 11, 2020 NY S 5073 Establishes a School Voter Registration Access Program Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 18)
March 11, 2020 MD SB 390 Prohibits a Defeated Primary Candidate from Running as a Write-In Candidate for the General Election Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 6)
March 10, 2020 SD SB 180 Repeals and Amends Certain Regulations Surrounding the Petition Circulation Process Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
March 9, 2020 FL SB 1794 Increases Signature Threshold for Initiative Petitions Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17)
March 7, 2020 VA HB 235 Establishes and Authorizes a Process for Automatic Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 18)
March 7, 2020 VA HB 201 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/29 SB 7 Establishes the "Secure Modern Accurate Registration Technology (SMART) Act" Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (15 - 9)
6/16 HB 1672 Authorizes Voting by Mail in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10)
6/14 HF 2643 Establishes a General Fund Budget and Limits Actions of County Auditors Regarding Absentee Ballot Requests Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
6/13 HF 2486 Requires the Secretary of State to Receive Legislative Consent Prior to Sending Absentee Ballot Requests Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 16)
6/11 AB 860 Authorizes Vote By Mail Absentee Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7)
6/11 HB 1169 Establishes Expedited Vote-By-Mail System in the 2020 General Election Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12)
6/10 HB 2502 Requires Department of State to Publish Presidential Primary Report Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 0)
6/02 S 348 Authorizes Mail-In Absentee Voting for the 2020 General Election Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
5/27 HB 272 Prohibits State Officials From Changing the Time and Place of an Election Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
5/22 SB 1863 Expands Absentee Voting for the Upcoming General Election Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 19)
5/07 HF 3429 Appropriates Funds and Establishes Procedures for Safe State Primaries and General Elections Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 1)
4/22 HB 1255 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Create an Independent Redistricting Commission Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
4/22 HB 207 Establishes Permanent Absentee Voter List Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
4/16 HB 3006 Amends the Election Code to Provide for 2020 Primary Election Exclusively by Mail Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 0)
4/15 HB 351 Increases Taxes on Tobacco Products and Authorizes the Expansion of Absentee Voting Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
4/14 HB 336 Amends the Time Frame That Gubernatorial Candidates Can Announce Running Mates Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
3/30 HB 1298 Amends the Date of the State Primary Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 5)
3/25 HB 197 Establishes Relief Provisions in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 0)
3/12 SB 463 Amends Election Laws Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 19)
3/11 S 5073 Establishes a School Voter Registration Access Program Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 18)
3/11 SB 390 Prohibits a Defeated Primary Candidate from Running as a Write-In Candidate for the General Election Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 6)
3/10 SB 180 Repeals and Amends Certain Regulations Surrounding the Petition Circulation Process Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
3/09 SB 1794 Increases Signature Threshold for Initiative Petitions Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17)
3/07 HB 235 Establishes and Authorizes a Process for Automatic Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 18)
3/07 HB 201 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17)

arrow_upward