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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 23, 2012 | CA | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| June 27, 2012 | CA | AB 1499 | Ballot Order for Statewide Measures | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 24) |
| June 27, 2012 | CA | AB 1499 | Ballot Order for Statewide Measures | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| May 31, 2012 | CA | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
| Jan. 31, 2012 | CA | AB 1148 | Requires Political Advertisements to Disclose Funding Sources | Bill Failed - House (52 - 26) |
| Sept. 10, 2011 | CA | SB 202 | Limiting Ballot Initiatives to the General Election | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | SB 202 | Limiting Ballot Initiatives to the General Election | Bill Passed - House (45 - 30) |
| July 14, 2011 | CA | AB 459 | National Popular Vote Interstate Compact | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 15) |
| July 14, 2011 | CA | AB 459 | National Popular Vote Interstate Compact | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| July 14, 2011 | CA | SB 168 | Prohibits Paid Signature-Gatherers | Bill Passed - House (48 - 28) |
| May 9, 2011 | CA | SB 168 | Prohibits Paid Signature-Gatherers | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Aug. 25, 2010 | CA | SB 970 | College Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Aug. 23, 2010 | CA | SB 970 | College Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations | Bill Passed - House (48 - 28) |
| Aug. 30, 2008 | CA | AB 583 | Public Financing of Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 583 | Public Financing of Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 1819 | Voter Registration Age Minimum Changes | Bill Passed - House (45 - 31) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | CA | GN Borucki | Confirmation of Joan Borucki as State Lottery Director | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| March 6, 2007 | CA | SB 113 | Presidential Primaries | Bill Passed - House (46 - 29) |
| Feb. 13, 2007 | CA | SB 113 | Presidential Primaries | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 5) |
| Aug. 16, 2006 | CA | SCA 3 | Redistricting Commission | Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| May 30, 2006 | CA | AB 2948 | Electoral College: Interstate Compact | Bill Passed - House (49 - 31) |
| Jan. 30, 2006 | CA | AB 583 | California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (47 - 31) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/23 | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 6/27 | AB 1499 | Ballot Order for Statewide Measures | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 24) |
| 6/27 | AB 1499 | Ballot Order for Statewide Measures | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 5/31 | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
| 1/31 | AB 1148 | Requires Political Advertisements to Disclose Funding Sources | Bill Failed - House (52 - 26) |
| 9/10 | SB 202 | Limiting Ballot Initiatives to the General Election | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 9/09 | SB 202 | Limiting Ballot Initiatives to the General Election | Bill Passed - House (45 - 30) |
| 7/14 | AB 459 | National Popular Vote Interstate Compact | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 15) |
| 7/14 | AB 459 | National Popular Vote Interstate Compact | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 7/14 | SB 168 | Prohibits Paid Signature-Gatherers | Bill Passed - House (48 - 28) |
| 5/09 | SB 168 | Prohibits Paid Signature-Gatherers | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 8/25 | SB 970 | College Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 8/23 | SB 970 | College Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations | Bill Passed - House (48 - 28) |
| 8/30 | AB 583 | Public Financing of Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| 8/29 | AB 583 | Public Financing of Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| 5/29 | AB 1819 | Voter Registration Age Minimum Changes | Bill Passed - House (45 - 31) |
| 2/19 | GN Borucki | Confirmation of Joan Borucki as State Lottery Director | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| 3/06 | SB 113 | Presidential Primaries | Bill Passed - House (46 - 29) |
| 2/13 | SB 113 | Presidential Primaries | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 5) |
| 8/16 | SCA 3 | Redistricting Commission | Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 5/30 | AB 2948 | Electoral College: Interstate Compact | Bill Passed - House (49 - 31) |
| 1/30 | AB 583 | California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (47 - 31) |