Key Votes

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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
Oct. 13, 2020 LA HCR 23 Classifies the US Senate Confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the US Supreme Court as a Memorialized Event Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 17)
Oct. 13, 2020 LA SB 74 Amends Election Penalties Relating to Registration, Fraud, and Forgery Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6)
Oct. 5, 2020 SD SCR 601 Appropriates $597 Million in Federal Funds for COVID-19 Relief Joint Resolution Passed - House (57 - 13)
Oct. 5, 2020 SD SCR 601 Appropriates $597 Million in Federal Funds for COVID-19 Relief Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 7)
Oct. 2, 2020 VA HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 37)
Oct. 2, 2020 VA SB 5033 Amends Court Authority in Criminal Cases Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 7)
Oct. 2, 2020 LA SB 29 Authorizes the Legislature to Void a State of Emergency Declaration After 30 Days Bill Passed - House (65 - 27)
Oct. 2, 2020 LA HCR 9 Limits Certain Powers of the Governor for the Declaration of an Emergency Bill Passed - House (66 - 23)
Oct. 1, 2020 MI HB 5881 Amends Sentencing Guidelines for Absentee Voting Law Violations Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
Oct. 1, 2020 National S 4653 A bill to protect the healthcare of hundreds of millions of people of the United States and prevent efforts of the Department of Justice to advocate courts to strike down the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 43)
Sept. 30, 2020 MI SB 977 Increases the Punishment for Fraudulent Absentee Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 6)
Sept. 29, 2020 National H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
Sept. 29, 2020 National H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
Sept. 29, 2020 National H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
Sept. 25, 2020 VA HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17)
Sept. 25, 2020 VA SB 5033 Amends Court Authority in Criminal Cases Bill Passed - House (53 - 44)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI SB 117 Authorizes Active-Duty Overseas Military Voters to Vote Electronically Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI SB 977 Increases the Punishment for Fraudulent Absentee Voting Bill Passed - House (77 - 26)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI SB 117 Authorizes Active-Duty Overseas Military Voters to Vote Electronically Bill Passed - House (88 - 17)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - House (94 - 11)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - House (94 - 11)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI HB 5881 Amends Sentencing Guidelines for Absentee Voting Law Violations Bill Passed - House (74 - 29)
Sept. 23, 2020 MI HB 5396 Appropriates Funds for the 2021 Fiscal Year Budget Bill Passed - House (101 - 4)
Sept. 22, 2020 VT H 688 Establishes the Global Warming Solutions Act Veto Override Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
Sept. 22, 2020 VT S 54 Authorizes the Sale and Regulation of Cannabis Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 6)
Date No. Title Outcome
10/13 HCR 23 Classifies the US Senate Confirming Amy Coney Barrett to the US Supreme Court as a Memorialized Event Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 17)
10/13 SB 74 Amends Election Penalties Relating to Registration, Fraud, and Forgery Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6)
10/05 SCR 601 Appropriates $597 Million in Federal Funds for COVID-19 Relief Joint Resolution Passed - House (57 - 13)
10/05 SCR 601 Appropriates $597 Million in Federal Funds for COVID-19 Relief Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 7)
10/02 HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 37)
10/02 SB 5033 Amends Court Authority in Criminal Cases Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 7)
10/02 SB 29 Authorizes the Legislature to Void a State of Emergency Declaration After 30 Days Bill Passed - House (65 - 27)
10/02 HCR 9 Limits Certain Powers of the Governor for the Declaration of an Emergency Bill Passed - House (66 - 23)
10/01 HB 5881 Amends Sentencing Guidelines for Absentee Voting Law Violations Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
10/01 S 4653 A bill to protect the healthcare of hundreds of millions of people of the United States and prevent efforts of the Department of Justice to advocate courts to strike down the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 43)
9/30 SB 977 Increases the Punishment for Fraudulent Absentee Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 6)
9/29 H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
9/29 H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
9/29 H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
9/25 HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17)
9/25 SB 5033 Amends Court Authority in Criminal Cases Bill Passed - House (53 - 44)
9/24 SB 117 Authorizes Active-Duty Overseas Military Voters to Vote Electronically Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
9/24 SB 977 Increases the Punishment for Fraudulent Absentee Voting Bill Passed - House (77 - 26)
9/24 SB 117 Authorizes Active-Duty Overseas Military Voters to Vote Electronically Bill Passed - House (88 - 17)
9/24 SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - House (94 - 11)
9/24 SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - House (94 - 11)
9/24 HB 5881 Amends Sentencing Guidelines for Absentee Voting Law Violations Bill Passed - House (74 - 29)
9/23 HB 5396 Appropriates Funds for the 2021 Fiscal Year Budget Bill Passed - House (101 - 4)
9/22 H 688 Establishes the Global Warming Solutions Act Veto Override Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
9/22 S 54 Authorizes the Sale and Regulation of Cannabis Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 6)

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