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
July 22, 2020 NY S 6886 Requires Electors to Vote for the Presidential Candidate Who Won the Most Votes in Their State Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 18)
July 22, 2020 NY S 8806 Establishes Automatic Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 20)
July 15, 2020 PA SB 1166 Limits the Governor's Emergency Powers Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 17)
July 15, 2020 PA SB 1166 Limits the Governor's Emergency Powers Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 17)
July 15, 2020 PA HB 196 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Elect Appellate Court Judges by Regional Districts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24)
July 15, 2020 PA HB 2463 Requires State Agency Response to Public Record Requests Made During a Gubernatorial Disaster Declaration Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 0)
July 15, 2020 PA HB 196 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Elect Appellate Court Judges by Regional Districts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24)
July 15, 2020 PA SB 14 Establishes New Guidelines to Reduce Probation Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 0)
July 6, 2020 HI HB 2738 Prohibits Foreign Nationals and Foreign Corporations from Funding Elections Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 0)
July 2, 2020 MA H 4820 Expands Voting Options in Response to COVID-19 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 0)
June 29, 2020 NH SB 7 Establishes the "Secure Modern Accurate Registration Technology (SMART) Act" Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (15 - 9)
June 29, 2020 NH SB 7 Establishes the "Secure Modern Accurate Registration Technology (SMART) Act" Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (15 - 9)
June 29, 2020 NJ S 2485 Authorizes Local Governments to Prohibit Evictions during COVID-19 Pandemic Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
June 26, 2020 VT H 688 Establishes the Global Warming Solutions Act Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 5)
June 24, 2020 CA ACA 5 Establishes Constitutional Amendment Repealing Prohibition on Affirmative Action Policies Amendment Adopted - Senate (30 - 10)
June 16, 2020 NH HB 1494 Establishes Benefits for Public Works Employees That Die on the Job Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10)
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 12, 2020 MN SC 1 Repeals the Governor's Peacetime Emergency Declaration Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 29)
June 12, 2020 MN SC 1 Repeals the Governor's Peacetime Emergency Declaration Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 29)
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 10, 2020 PA HB 2502 Requires Department of State to Publish Presidential Primary Report Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 0)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/22 S 6886 Requires Electors to Vote for the Presidential Candidate Who Won the Most Votes in Their State Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 18)
7/22 S 8806 Establishes Automatic Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 20)
7/15 SB 1166 Limits the Governor's Emergency Powers Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 17)
7/15 SB 1166 Limits the Governor's Emergency Powers Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 17)
7/15 HB 196 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Elect Appellate Court Judges by Regional Districts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24)
7/15 HB 2463 Requires State Agency Response to Public Record Requests Made During a Gubernatorial Disaster Declaration Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 0)
7/15 HB 196 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Elect Appellate Court Judges by Regional Districts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24)
7/15 SB 14 Establishes New Guidelines to Reduce Probation Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 0)
7/06 HB 2738 Prohibits Foreign Nationals and Foreign Corporations from Funding Elections Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 0)
7/02 H 4820 Expands Voting Options in Response to COVID-19 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 0)
6/29 SB 7 Establishes the "Secure Modern Accurate Registration Technology (SMART) Act" Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (15 - 9)
6/29 SB 7 Establishes the "Secure Modern Accurate Registration Technology (SMART) Act" Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (15 - 9)
6/29 S 2485 Authorizes Local Governments to Prohibit Evictions during COVID-19 Pandemic Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
6/26 H 688 Establishes the Global Warming Solutions Act Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 5)
6/24 ACA 5 Establishes Constitutional Amendment Repealing Prohibition on Affirmative Action Policies Amendment Adopted - Senate (30 - 10)
6/16 HB 1494 Establishes Benefits for Public Works Employees That Die on the Job Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10)
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)
6/12 SC 1 Repeals the Governor's Peacetime Emergency Declaration Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 29)
6/12 SC 1 Repeals the Governor's Peacetime Emergency Declaration Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 29)
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)
6/10 HB 2502 Requires Department of State to Publish Presidential Primary Report Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 0)

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