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 17, 2013 | IL | HB 226 | Authorizes 17 Year Olds to Vote in Primary Elections | Bill Passed - House (95 - 22) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
| May 27, 2011 | IL | SB 1177 | General Assembly Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 22) |
| Jan. 4, 2011 | IL | SB 3976 | Rules to Govern the Redistricting Process | Bill Passed - House (67 - 46) |
| April 29, 2010 | IL | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Bill Failed - House (69 - 47) |
| April 14, 2010 | IL | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
| Oct. 15, 2009 | IL | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 1) |
| May 31, 2009 | IL | HB 7 | Campaign Contribution Limits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 46) |
| May 30, 2009 | IL | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (109 - 6) |
| May 28, 2009 | IL | HB 7 | Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
| May 1, 2008 | IL | SJRCA 70 | Constitutional Amendment to recall certain elected officials | Bill Failed - Senate (33 - 19) |
| April 30, 2008 | IL | HB 5278 | Limiting County Clerk and Election Board Members' Endorsements | Bill Passed - House (63 - 48) |
| April 8, 2008 | IL | HJRCA 28 | Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33) |
| Jan. 9, 2008 | IL | HB 1685 | National Popular Vote Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| May 15, 2007 | IL | HB 426 | Earlier Presidential Primary Date | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 10) |
| May 2, 2007 | IL | HB 858 | Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (65 - 50) |
| May 4, 2006 | IL | HB 1918 | Support Horseracing Through Riverboat Casinos in Chicago | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 16) |
| May 1, 2006 | IL | SB 1445 | Election Code Revisions | Bill Passed - House (61 - 40) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/17 | HB 226 | Authorizes 17 Year Olds to Vote in Primary Elections | Bill Passed - House (95 - 22) |
| 5/31 | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
| 5/27 | SB 1177 | General Assembly Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 22) |
| 1/04 | SB 3976 | Rules to Govern the Redistricting Process | Bill Passed - House (67 - 46) |
| 4/29 | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Bill Failed - House (69 - 47) |
| 4/14 | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
| 10/15 | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 1) |
| 5/31 | HB 7 | Campaign Contribution Limits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 46) |
| 5/30 | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (109 - 6) |
| 5/28 | HB 7 | Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
| 5/01 | SJRCA 70 | Constitutional Amendment to recall certain elected officials | Bill Failed - Senate (33 - 19) |
| 4/30 | HB 5278 | Limiting County Clerk and Election Board Members' Endorsements | Bill Passed - House (63 - 48) |
| 4/08 | HJRCA 28 | Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33) |
| 1/09 | HB 1685 | National Popular Vote Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| 5/15 | HB 426 | Earlier Presidential Primary Date | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 10) |
| 5/02 | HB 858 | Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (65 - 50) |
| 5/04 | HB 1918 | Support Horseracing Through Riverboat Casinos in Chicago | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 16) |
| 5/01 | SB 1445 | Election Code Revisions | Bill Passed - House (61 - 40) |