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
March 9, 2021 HI SB 560 Establishes Rank-Choice Voting For County Council Seats Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 0)
March 8, 2021 ND HB 1256 Prohibits Accepting Grants or Donations from Private Persons for Election Matters Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 22)
March 8, 2021 GA SB 241 Limits Absentee Voting to Individuals 65 and Older (29 - 20)
March 8, 2021 AZ SB 1713 Repeals Early Ballot Laws Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
March 5, 2021 NM SB 304 Establishes a Citizen's Redistricting Committee Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
March 4, 2021 NH SB 54 Establishes New Requirements for Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10)
March 3, 2021 AR HB 1338 Amends the Petition Process to be a Candidate by Increasing the Number of Signatures Required Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 3)
March 3, 2021 AZ SB 1106 Prohibits Voters from Out-of-State Knowingly Voting in Presidential Elections Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
March 3, 2021 AZ SB 1793 Repeals Deceased Individuals from County Voter Registration Databases Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
March 3, 2021 AZ SB 1003 Establishes Guidelines for the Time Voters Have to Fix Signatures on Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
March 2, 2021 AZ SB 1485 Rescinds Voters From the Early Ballots Mailing List Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
March 2, 2021 MT SB 319 Establishes Joint Fundraising Committees to Solicit Large Campaign Donations Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19)
March 2, 2021 ID S 1064 Specifies Voters Must be Issued a New Ballot of the Same Type they Originally Requested Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6)
March 1, 2021 ID S 1110 Increases the Counties Needed to Reach 6 Percent of Signatures for an Initiative Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9)
March 1, 2021 MT SB 350 Amends the Election Law Regarding Minor Parties Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19)
March 1, 2021 MT SB 351 Authorizes County Election Administrators to Test Vote Tabulation Machines Before Automatic Tabulation Begins Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18)
Feb. 27, 2021 VA SJ 272 Amends the Qualifications to Vote Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17)
Feb. 27, 2021 VA HJ 555 Extends Voting Rights to Citizens on Parole Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 18)
Feb. 25, 2021 SD HB 1125 Requires All Ballots to be Counted Before the Counting Board Leaves Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4)
Feb. 24, 2021 AR HB 1112 Requires Presenting Identification in Order to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9)
Feb. 24, 2021 GA SB 89 Establishes a New Position at the State Board of Elections Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18)
Feb. 24, 2021 NY S 830 Extends Voting Rights to Convicted Felons on Parole Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 20)
Feb. 23, 2021 VA SB 1097 Rescinds the Mandate for a Witness Signature on Absentee Ballots Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
Feb. 23, 2021 VA SB 1148 Amends the Primary Election Date Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14)
Feb. 23, 2021 VA HB 2020 Amends the Nomination Processes to Accommodate Servicemembers on Active Duty Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/09 SB 560 Establishes Rank-Choice Voting For County Council Seats Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 0)
3/08 HB 1256 Prohibits Accepting Grants or Donations from Private Persons for Election Matters Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 22)
3/08 SB 241 Limits Absentee Voting to Individuals 65 and Older (29 - 20)
3/08 SB 1713 Repeals Early Ballot Laws Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
3/05 SB 304 Establishes a Citizen's Redistricting Committee Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
3/04 SB 54 Establishes New Requirements for Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10)
3/03 HB 1338 Amends the Petition Process to be a Candidate by Increasing the Number of Signatures Required Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 3)
3/03 SB 1106 Prohibits Voters from Out-of-State Knowingly Voting in Presidential Elections Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
3/03 SB 1793 Repeals Deceased Individuals from County Voter Registration Databases Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
3/03 SB 1003 Establishes Guidelines for the Time Voters Have to Fix Signatures on Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
3/02 SB 1485 Rescinds Voters From the Early Ballots Mailing List Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
3/02 SB 319 Establishes Joint Fundraising Committees to Solicit Large Campaign Donations Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19)
3/02 S 1064 Specifies Voters Must be Issued a New Ballot of the Same Type they Originally Requested Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6)
3/01 S 1110 Increases the Counties Needed to Reach 6 Percent of Signatures for an Initiative Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9)
3/01 SB 350 Amends the Election Law Regarding Minor Parties Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19)
3/01 SB 351 Authorizes County Election Administrators to Test Vote Tabulation Machines Before Automatic Tabulation Begins Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18)
2/27 SJ 272 Amends the Qualifications to Vote Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17)
2/27 HJ 555 Extends Voting Rights to Citizens on Parole Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 18)
2/25 HB 1125 Requires All Ballots to be Counted Before the Counting Board Leaves Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4)
2/24 HB 1112 Requires Presenting Identification in Order to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9)
2/24 SB 89 Establishes a New Position at the State Board of Elections Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18)
2/24 S 830 Extends Voting Rights to Convicted Felons on Parole Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 20)
2/23 SB 1097 Rescinds the Mandate for a Witness Signature on Absentee Ballots Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
2/23 SB 1148 Amends the Primary Election Date Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14)
2/23 HB 2020 Amends the Nomination Processes to Accommodate Servicemembers on Active Duty Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10)

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