Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
July 8, 2009 National S Amdt 1399 Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
June 3, 2009 ME LD 1357 Relating to Driver's License and Identification Card Regulations Veto Override Failed - Senate (7 - 28)
June 3, 2009 ME LD 1357 Relating to Driver's License and Identification Card Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
April 16, 2009 CA SB 242 Prohibiting Language Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
April 6, 2009 CO SB 170 Expanding In-State Tuition Eligibility Motion Rejected - Senate (16 - 18)
April 3, 2009 GA HB 2 Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
April 3, 2009 GA SB 86 Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 13)
March 9, 2009 UT SB 225 Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14)
Feb. 10, 2009 OH SB 35 State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law (21 - 11)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/08 S Amdt 1399 Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
6/03 LD 1357 Relating to Driver's License and Identification Card Regulations Veto Override Failed - Senate (7 - 28)
6/03 LD 1357 Relating to Driver's License and Identification Card Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
4/16 SB 242 Prohibiting Language Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
4/06 SB 170 Expanding In-State Tuition Eligibility Motion Rejected - Senate (16 - 18)
4/03 HB 2 Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
4/03 SB 86 Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 13)
3/09 SB 225 Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14)
2/10 SB 35 State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law (21 - 11)

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