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. 20, 2013 | VA | SB 1256 | Requires Photo Identification for Voting | Bill Passed - House (65 - 34) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | VA | SB 1335 | Prohibits Disclosure of Concealed Firearm Permit Information | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| Feb. 12, 2013 | VA | SB 1335 | Prohibits Disclosure of Concealed Firearm Permit Information | Bill Passed - House (76 - 23) |
| Feb. 5, 2013 | VA | SB 1256 | Requires Photo Identification for Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| Feb. 5, 2013 | VA | SB 719 | Amends Voting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| Feb. 4, 2013 | VA | SB 721 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 20) |
| March 8, 2012 | VA | SB 1 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (66 - 31) |
| Feb. 27, 2012 | VA | HB 9 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| Feb. 22, 2012 | VA | SB 323 | Repeals Purchase Limit for Handguns | Bill Passed - House (64 - 32) |
| Feb. 20, 2012 | VA | HB 48 | Authorizing Physical Force Against Intruders | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Feb. 20, 2012 | VA | HB 48 | Authorizing Physical Force Against Intruders | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Feb. 14, 2012 | VA | SB 6 | Requires Drug Tests for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| Feb. 14, 2012 | VA | HB 1060 | Requires Law Enforcement to Ask About Immigration Status During an Arrest | Bill Passed - House (75 - 25) |
| Feb. 13, 2012 | VA | HB 940 | Repeals Purchase Limit for Handguns | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| Feb. 9, 2012 | VA | HB 14 | Provides Civil Immunity for the Use of Force Against Intruders | Bill Passed - House (75 - 22) |
| Feb. 9, 2012 | VA | HB 14 | Provides Civil Immunity for the Use of Force Against Intruders | Bill Passed - House (75 - 22) |
| Feb. 9, 2012 | VA | HB 48 | Authorizing Physical Force Against Intruders | Bill Passed - House (70 - 28) |
| Feb. 9, 2012 | VA | HB 48 | Authorizing Physical Force Against Intruders | Bill Passed - House (70 - 28) |
| Feb. 6, 2012 | VA | SB 1 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| Feb. 6, 2012 | VA | SB 323 | Repeals Purchase Limit for Handguns | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| Feb. 1, 2012 | VA | HB 9 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (69 - 30) |
| Feb. 1, 2012 | VA | HB 940 | Repeals Purchase Limit for Handguns | Bill Passed - House (66 - 32) |
| Jan. 26, 2012 | VA | SB 464 | Authorizes Hunting on Sundays | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
| Feb. 3, 2011 | VA | SB 831 | Amending the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Jan. 24, 2011 | VA | SB 949 | Allowing Absentee Voting For Any Reason | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| March 11, 2010 | VA | HB 505 | Authorizing Concealed Firearms in Establishments that Serve Alcohol | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 27) |
| March 11, 2010 | VA | HB 885 | Authorizing Concealed Firearms in Vehicles | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 28) |
| March 10, 2010 | VA | HB 505 | Authorizing Concealed Firearms in Establishments that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| March 10, 2010 | VA | HB 885 | Authorizing Concealed Firearms in Vehicles | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| March 9, 2010 | VA | SB 66 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government Employment | Motion Agreed - House (55 - 42) |
| March 2, 2010 | VA | SB 408 | Gun Regulation Modifications | Bill Passed - House (74 - 25) |
| March 2, 2010 | VA | SB 334 | Authorizing Concealed Handguns in Establishments that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - House (72 - 27) |
| Feb. 16, 2010 | VA | SB 334 | Authorizing Concealed Handguns in Establishments that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Feb. 16, 2010 | VA | SB 408 | Gun Regulation Modifications | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | VA | HB 53 | Ban on Required Human Microchip Implantation | Bill Passed - House (88 - 9) |
| Feb. 8, 2010 | VA | SB 66 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government Employment | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Feb. 3, 2010 | VA | HB 502 | Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices | Bill Passed - House (74 - 24) |
| Feb. 3, 2010 | VA | HB 502 | Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices | Bill Passed - House (74 - 24) |
| Jan. 27, 2010 | VA | SB 9 | Enforcing Seat Belt Violations as Primary Offenses | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Jan. 27, 2010 | VA | SB 9 | Enforcing Seat Belt Violations as Primary Offenses | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | VA | SB 1035 | Allowing Guns in Alcohol-Serving Establishments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | VA | SB 961 | Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices | Bill Passed - House (74 - 26) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | VA | SB 961 | Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices | Bill Passed - House (74 - 26) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | VA | SB 1035 | Allowing Guns in Alcohol-Serving Establishments | Bill Passed - House (66 - 33) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | VA | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | VA | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | VA | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 39) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | VA | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | VA | SJ 273 | Legislative Restoration of Voting Rights for Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | VA | SJ 354 | Civil Rights for Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (19 - 19) |