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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 10, 2011 | SC | H 3003 | Voter ID | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 17) |
| Jan. 26, 2011 | SC | H 3003 | Voter ID | Bill Passed - House (74 - 45) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | SC | S 191 | Authorizing Warrantless Searches and Seizures of Probationers and Parolees | Motion Agreed - House (81 - 26) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | SC | S 191 | Authorizing Warrantless Searches and Seizures of Probationers and Parolees | Motion Agreed - House (81 - 26) |
| March 3, 2009 | SC | H 3418 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (67 - 44) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | SC | H 3245 | 24-Hour Waiting Period for Abortions | Bill Passed - House (87 - 24) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | SC | Amdt 2 | Exempting Cases of Rape from Abortion Waiting Period | Amendment Tabled - House (69 - 45) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | SC | Amdt 5 | Prohibiting Employment Termination Due to Abortion Waiting Period | Amendment Rejected - House (54 - 60) |
| Oct. 21, 2008 | SC | S 429 | DNA Sampling Upon Felony Arrest | Veto Override Passed - House (86 - 25) |
| Oct. 21, 2008 | SC | S 429 | DNA Sampling Upon Felony Arrest | Veto Override Passed - House (86 - 25) |
| May 29, 2008 | SC | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 16) |
| May 29, 2008 | SC | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 16) |
| 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) |
| April 10, 2008 | SC | H 3427 | Ending Common Law Marriage | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 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) |
| June 6, 2007 | SC | H 3964 | Concealed Firearms in Schools | Motion Agreed - House (47 - 41) |
| May 30, 2007 | SC | Amendment No. P-2B | State Scholarships for Private Schools | Amendment Tabled - Senate (29 - 15) |
| Jan. 25, 2007 | SC | H 3063 | Defining Marriage | Bill Passed - House (92 - 7) |
| Jan. 25, 2007 | SC | H 3063 | Defining Marriage | Bill Passed - House (92 - 7) |
| June 14, 2006 | SC | H 3726 | ATV Use Regulations | Veto Override Passed - House (74 - 31) |
| June 14, 2006 | SC | H 3726 | ATV Use Regulations | Veto Override Failed - Senate (19 - 22) |
| May 31, 2006 | SC | S 1267 | Death Penalty for Repeat Sex Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (84 - 27) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/10 | H 3003 | Voter ID | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 17) |
| 1/26 | H 3003 | Voter ID | Bill Passed - House (74 - 45) |
| 2/24 | S 191 | Authorizing Warrantless Searches and Seizures of Probationers and Parolees | Motion Agreed - House (81 - 26) |
| 2/24 | S 191 | Authorizing Warrantless Searches and Seizures of Probationers and Parolees | Motion Agreed - House (81 - 26) |
| 3/03 | H 3418 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (67 - 44) |
| 2/26 | H 3245 | 24-Hour Waiting Period for Abortions | Bill Passed - House (87 - 24) |
| 2/24 | Amdt 2 | Exempting Cases of Rape from Abortion Waiting Period | Amendment Tabled - House (69 - 45) |
| 2/24 | Amdt 5 | Prohibiting Employment Termination Due to Abortion Waiting Period | Amendment Rejected - House (54 - 60) |
| 10/21 | S 429 | DNA Sampling Upon Felony Arrest | Veto Override Passed - House (86 - 25) |
| 10/21 | S 429 | DNA Sampling Upon Felony Arrest | Veto Override Passed - House (86 - 25) |
| 5/29 | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 16) |
| 5/29 | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 16) |
| 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) |
| 4/10 | H 3427 | Ending Common Law Marriage | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 1/31 | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 13) |
| 1/31 | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 13) |
| 6/06 | H 3964 | Concealed Firearms in Schools | Motion Agreed - House (47 - 41) |
| 5/30 | Amendment No. P-2B | State Scholarships for Private Schools | Amendment Tabled - Senate (29 - 15) |
| 1/25 | H 3063 | Defining Marriage | Bill Passed - House (92 - 7) |
| 1/25 | H 3063 | Defining Marriage | Bill Passed - House (92 - 7) |
| 6/14 | H 3726 | ATV Use Regulations | Veto Override Passed - House (74 - 31) |
| 6/14 | H 3726 | ATV Use Regulations | Veto Override Failed - Senate (19 - 22) |
| 5/31 | S 1267 | Death Penalty for Repeat Sex Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (84 - 27) |