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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 8, 2026 | IL | HB 4339 | Requires High Schools to Offer Eligible Students the Ability to Register to Vote | Bill Passed - House (77 - 24) |
| April 9, 2025 | IL | SB 243 | Expands Open Meetings Act Training Options for Township Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 0) |
| Nov. 9, 2023 | IL | HB 351 | Prohibits Officials Convicted of a Felony, Bribery, or Perjury While in Office from Holding Any Local or State Office in the Future | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (88 - 18) |
| May 25, 2023 | IL | SB 2123 | Amends Various State Election Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 18) |
| May 25, 2023 | IL | SB 2123 | Amends Various State Election Laws | Bill Passed - House (36 - 18) |
| Jan. 5, 2022 | IL | HB 3138 | Amends Judicial Circuits and Subcircuits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 34) |
| Jan. 5, 2022 | IL | HB 3138 | Amends Judicial Circuits and Subcircuits | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 16) |
| Oct. 28, 2021 | IL | HB 1291 | Amends State Congressional Districts | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (71 - 43) |
| Oct. 28, 2021 | IL | HB 1291 | Amends State Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 18) |
| March 18, 2021 | IL | HB 1871 | Extends Ballot Drop Boxes and Curbside Voting | Bill Passed - House (70 - 41) |
| May 22, 2020 | IL | SB 1863 | Expands Absentee Voting for the Upcoming General Election | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 19) |
| May 21, 2020 | IL | SB 1863 | Expands Absentee Voting for the Upcoming General Election | Bill Passed - House (72 - 43) |
| Oct. 29, 2019 | IL | SB 1970 | Authorizes Student Absences for Voting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 40) |
| June 1, 2019 | IL | HB 2625 | Requires Subcircuit Judicial Boundary Lines be Redrawn | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 46) |
| May 28, 2019 | IL | SB 2090 | Expands Access to Voting in Jails | Bill Passed - House (69 - 45) |
| May 23, 2019 | IL | HB 2625 | Requires Subcircuit Judicial Boundary Lines be Redrawn | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 19) |
| April 11, 2019 | IL | SB 145 | Requires Presidential Candidates to Release Tax Returns | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 19) |
| April 10, 2019 | IL | SB 2090 | Expands Access to Voting in Jails | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
| April 10, 2019 | IL | SB 1970 | Authorizes Student Absences for Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10) |
| May 5, 2017 | IL | SB 1933 | Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
| May 19, 2016 | IL | SB 250 | Establishes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 16) |
| April 21, 2016 | IL | SJRCA 30 | Amends Redistricting Process | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 19) |
| May 30, 2014 | IL | HB 105 | Authorizes Election Day Voter Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 41) |
| May 30, 2014 | IL | HB 105 | Authorizes Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 17) |
| May 15, 2013 | IL | HB 226 | Authorizes 17 Year Olds to Vote in Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 9) |