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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 10, 2010 | SC | H 3305 | Requiring Secret Ballot Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (106 - 12) |
| March 10, 2010 | SC | H 3305 | Requiring Secret Ballot Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 9) |
| Jan. 13, 2010 | SC | H 4219 | Censuring Governor Mark Sanford | Resolution Passed - House (102 - 11) |
| June 16, 2009 | SC | S 351 | State Ports Authority Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (35 - 9) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | SC | S 351 | State Ports Authority Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| May 29, 2008 | SC | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 16) |
| May 27, 2008 | SC | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57) |
| May 21, 2008 | SC | H 3816 | Bankruptcy Exemptions | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26) |
| May 21, 2008 | SC | H 3816 | Bankruptcy Exemptions | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26) |
| May 14, 2008 | SC | H 3032 | Immigration Reform | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 26) |
| May 14, 2008 | SC | H 3032 | Immigration Reform | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 26) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | Amendment No. 8A | Requiring Employers to Verify Immigration the Status of Their Employees | Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 33) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | Amendment No. 8A | Requiring Employers to Verify Immigration the Status of Their Employees | Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 33) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
| April 10, 2008 | SC | H 3427 | Ending Common Law Marriage | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (21 - 17) |
| April 9, 2008 | SC | H 4673 | Cost-of-Living Pension Increases for Retired Legislators and State Workers | Bill Passed - House (58 - 51) |
| April 9, 2008 | SC | H 4673 | Cost-of-Living Pension Increases for Retired Legislators and State Workers | Bill Passed - House (58 - 51) |
| April 2, 2008 | SC | AM 1 | Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit | Amendment Rejected - House (40 - 73) |
| April 2, 2008 | SC | H 4550 | Marriage Tax Cut | Bill Passed - House (100 - 14) |
| March 5, 2008 | SC | H 4620 | Expanding Governor's Appointment Power | Joint Resolution Passed - House (83 - 24) |
| Jan. 31, 2008 | SC | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 13) |
| Jan. 31, 2008 | SC | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 13) |
| May 30, 2007 | SC | Amendment No. P-2B | State Scholarships for Private Schools | Amendment Tabled - Senate (29 - 15) |
| May 9, 2007 | SC | Amendment No. 2c | Restructuring the Department of Transportation | Amendment Tabled - Senate (20 - 19) |
| April 10, 2007 | SC | S 332 | Workers' Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/10 | H 3305 | Requiring Secret Ballot Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (106 - 12) |
| 3/10 | H 3305 | Requiring Secret Ballot Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 9) |
| 1/13 | H 4219 | Censuring Governor Mark Sanford | Resolution Passed - House (102 - 11) |
| 6/16 | S 351 | State Ports Authority Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (35 - 9) |
| 2/18 | S 351 | State Ports Authority Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| 5/29 | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 16) |
| 5/27 | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57) |
| 5/21 | H 3816 | Bankruptcy Exemptions | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26) |
| 5/21 | H 3816 | Bankruptcy Exemptions | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26) |
| 5/14 | H 3032 | Immigration Reform | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 26) |
| 5/14 | H 3032 | Immigration Reform | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 26) |
| 5/07 | Amendment No. 8A | Requiring Employers to Verify Immigration the Status of Their Employees | Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 33) |
| 5/07 | Amendment No. 8A | Requiring Employers to Verify Immigration the Status of Their Employees | Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 33) |
| 5/07 | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
| 4/10 | H 3427 | Ending Common Law Marriage | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 4/09 | H 4673 | Cost-of-Living Pension Increases for Retired Legislators and State Workers | Bill Passed - House (58 - 51) |
| 4/09 | H 4673 | Cost-of-Living Pension Increases for Retired Legislators and State Workers | Bill Passed - House (58 - 51) |
| 4/02 | AM 1 | Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit | Amendment Rejected - House (40 - 73) |
| 4/02 | H 4550 | Marriage Tax Cut | Bill Passed - House (100 - 14) |
| 3/05 | H 4620 | Expanding Governor's Appointment Power | Joint Resolution Passed - House (83 - 24) |
| 1/31 | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 13) |
| 1/31 | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 13) |
| 5/30 | Amendment No. P-2B | State Scholarships for Private Schools | Amendment Tabled - Senate (29 - 15) |
| 5/09 | Amendment No. 2c | Restructuring the Department of Transportation | Amendment Tabled - Senate (20 - 19) |
| 4/10 | S 332 | Workers' Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7) |