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:
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.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 7, 2020 | KS | SCR 1613 | Establishes a State Constitutional Amendment Specifying that Abortion Shall Not Be Constitutionally Protected | Bill Failed - House (80 - 43) |
| Feb. 7, 2020 | VA | HB 1103 | Authorizes Ranked Choice Voting | Bill Passed - House (57 - 42) |
| Feb. 6, 2020 | VA | HB 220 | Requires Prepaid Postage on All Absentee Ballots | Bill Passed - House (60 - 38) |
| Feb. 6, 2020 | VA | HB 108 | Establishes Election Day as a State Holiday | Bill Passed - House (55 - 42) |
| Jan. 31, 2020 | KY | HB 168 | Requires Legislative Ethics Commission to Review Sexual Harassment Complaints | Bill Passed - House (85 - 0) |
| Jan. 21, 2020 | ME | LD 517 | Authorizes Placing a Candidate's "Nickname" on a Ballot | Veto Override Failed - House (83 - 57) |
| Jan. 15, 2020 | WV | HB 3039 | Increases Court Discretion When Determining Child Custody | Bill Passed - House (87 - 11) |
| Jan. 15, 2020 | VA | HJ 1 | Establishes an Amendment to the US Constitution Relating to Equal Rights | Bill Passed - House (59 - 41) |
| Jan. 15, 2020 | VA | HJ 1 | Establishes an Amendment to the US Constitution Relating to Equal Rights | Bill Passed - House (59 - 41) |
| Jan. 14, 2020 | IN | HB 1027 | Repeals Township Assessor Offices | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| Jan. 14, 2020 | IN | HB 1027 | Repeals Township Assessor Offices | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| Jan. 9, 2020 | NH | HB 102 | Authorizes Municipalities to Regulate Single-Use Bags | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (215 - 151) |
| Jan. 8, 2020 | NH | HB 506 | Authorizes Employees Time to Vote | Bill Passed - House (186 - 173) |