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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 19, 2012 | MA | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| July 18, 2012 | MA | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - House (139 - 14) |
| May 31, 2012 | MA | H Amdt 11 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Amendment Adopted - House (105 - 43) |
| April 25, 2012 | MA | H Amdt 804.1 | Electronic Benefit Transfer Cards | Amendment Adopted - House (123 - 33) |
| May 26, 2010 | MA | H 4703 | Sentencing Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (139 - 17) |
| Feb. 4, 2010 | MA | H 4466 | Expanding Driving Regulations | Bill Passed - House (146 - 9) |
| Nov. 18, 2009 | MA | S 2210 | Sentencing Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| Oct. 8, 2009 | MA | SB 2028 | Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Plan | Bill Passed - House (114 - 36) |
| July 29, 2008 | MA | Peterson Amdt to H 5022 | Reducing Firearm Licensing Fee | Amendment Adopted - House (97 - 59) |
| July 29, 2008 | MA | S 2807 | Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| Jan. 23, 2008 | MA | H 4477 | Cell Phone Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (107 - 47) |
| Nov. 1, 2007 | MA | S 1353 | Reproductive Health Clinic Buffer Zones | Bill Passed - House (122 - 28) |
| June 14, 2007 | MA | S 2220 | Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage | Bill Failed - House (40 - 117) |
| June 14, 2007 | MA | S 2220 | Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (5 - 34) |
| July 13, 2006 | MA | H 126 | Unsigned Political Posters | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 6) |
| July 13, 2006 | MA | H 126 | Unsigned Political Posters | Veto Override Passed - House (132 - 24) |
| July 13, 2006 | MA | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Veto Override Passed - House (115 - 42) |
| July 13, 2006 | MA | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| June 7, 2006 | MA | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/19 | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| 7/18 | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - House (139 - 14) |
| 5/31 | H Amdt 11 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Amendment Adopted - House (105 - 43) |
| 4/25 | H Amdt 804.1 | Electronic Benefit Transfer Cards | Amendment Adopted - House (123 - 33) |
| 5/26 | H 4703 | Sentencing Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (139 - 17) |
| 2/04 | H 4466 | Expanding Driving Regulations | Bill Passed - House (146 - 9) |
| 11/18 | S 2210 | Sentencing Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 10/08 | SB 2028 | Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Plan | Bill Passed - House (114 - 36) |
| 7/29 | Peterson Amdt to H 5022 | Reducing Firearm Licensing Fee | Amendment Adopted - House (97 - 59) |
| 7/29 | S 2807 | Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| 1/23 | H 4477 | Cell Phone Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (107 - 47) |
| 11/01 | S 1353 | Reproductive Health Clinic Buffer Zones | Bill Passed - House (122 - 28) |
| 6/14 | S 2220 | Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage | Bill Failed - House (40 - 117) |
| 6/14 | S 2220 | Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (5 - 34) |
| 7/13 | H 126 | Unsigned Political Posters | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 6) |
| 7/13 | H 126 | Unsigned Political Posters | Veto Override Passed - House (132 - 24) |
| 7/13 | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Veto Override Passed - House (115 - 42) |
| 7/13 | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 6/07 | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |