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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 2012 | MS | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 14) |
| May 2, 2012 | MS | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
| May 2, 2012 | MS | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
| April 10, 2012 | MS | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| Feb. 18, 2010 | MS | SB 2688 | Restoring 2009-2010 Budget Cuts | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| Feb. 4, 2009 | MS | SB 2548 | Identification Requirements to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| Jan. 29, 2009 | MS | HB 364 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| May 28, 2008 | MS | SB 2013 | Hospital Tax for Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7) |
| May 22, 2008 | MS | SB 2004 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| May 22, 2008 | MS | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3) |
| March 24, 2008 | MS | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| March 24, 2008 | MS | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| March 24, 2008 | MS | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | MS | SB 2998 | Immunity for Physicians Treating Medicaid Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 18) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | MS | SB 2910 | Changes to Election Law | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | MS | SB 2550 | Covenant Marriage Act | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MS | SB 2468 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
| Jan. 25, 2008 | MS | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| Jan. 25, 2008 | MS | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| Jan. 25, 2008 | MS | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| March 8, 2007 | MS | SB 2391 | Abortion Law Reform | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 2) |
| Feb. 7, 2007 | MS | SB 2617 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| Feb. 7, 2007 | MS | SB 2391 | Parental Consent Waiver for Abortions | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 0) |
| March 22, 2006 | MS | SB 2310 | Food and Tobacco Taxes | Veto Override Failed - Senate (28 - 22) |
| March 3, 2006 | MS | SB 3084 | Food and Tobacco Taxes | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 19) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/02 | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 14) |
| 5/02 | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
| 5/02 | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
| 4/10 | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| 2/18 | SB 2688 | Restoring 2009-2010 Budget Cuts | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| 2/04 | SB 2548 | Identification Requirements to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 1/29 | HB 364 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 5/28 | SB 2013 | Hospital Tax for Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7) |
| 5/22 | SB 2004 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 5/22 | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3) |
| 3/24 | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| 3/24 | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| 3/24 | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| 2/27 | SB 2998 | Immunity for Physicians Treating Medicaid Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 18) |
| 2/26 | SB 2910 | Changes to Election Law | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| 2/26 | SB 2550 | Covenant Marriage Act | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13) |
| 2/21 | SB 2468 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
| 1/25 | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| 1/25 | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| 1/25 | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| 3/08 | SB 2391 | Abortion Law Reform | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (49 - 2) |
| 2/07 | SB 2617 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| 2/07 | SB 2391 | Parental Consent Waiver for Abortions | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 0) |
| 3/22 | SB 2310 | Food and Tobacco Taxes | Veto Override Failed - Senate (28 - 22) |
| 3/03 | SB 3084 | Food and Tobacco Taxes | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 19) |