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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 1, 2014 | NJ | S 536 | Amends Early Voting Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
Oct. 23, 2014 | NJ | S 2430 | Requires Disclosure of Political Contributions | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
Sept. 11, 2014 | National | S J Res 19 | A Joint Resolution Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States Relating to Contributions and Expenditures Intended to Affect Elections | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42) |
Aug. 11, 2014 | FL | SB 2-A | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (71 - 38) |
Aug. 11, 2014 | FL | SB 2-A | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
June 23, 2014 | CA | AJR 1 | Requests Constitutional Convention to Overturn Citizens United | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
June 18, 2014 | RI | H 8072A | Repeals Straight Party Voting Option on Election Ballots | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 3) |
May 30, 2014 | IL | HB 105 | Authorizes Election Day Voter Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 41) |
May 30, 2014 | IL | HB 105 | Authorizes Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 17) |
May 29, 2014 | CA | AB 1873 | Authorizes the Use of Mail Ballots During Special Elections | Bill Passed - House (44 - 32) |
May 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1253 | Amends Legislative Initiative Measure Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
May 22, 2014 | NH | SB 120 | Requires Certain Political Organizations to Disclose Individual Contributors | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (12 - 11) |
May 14, 2014 | MO | HJR 90 | Authorizes Early Voting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (92 - 57) |
May 14, 2014 | NH | SB 120 | Requires Certain Political Organizations to Disclose Individual Contributors | Bill Passed - House (186 - 119) |
May 12, 2014 | MO | HJR 90 | Authorizes Early Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
May 8, 2014 | CA | SB 27 | Requires Certain Nonprofit Organizations to Disclose Donors | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
May 6, 2014 | CT | SB 455 | Amends the Funding for the Public Campaign Finance Program | Bill Passed - House (102 - 40) |
May 5, 2014 | CA | SB 27 | Requires Certain Nonprofit Organizations to Disclose Donors | Bill Passed - House (58 - 12) |
May 5, 2014 | MO | SB 892 | Amends Presidential Primary Dates | Bill Passed - House (101 - 47) |
May 2, 2014 | MN | SF 2099 | Requires Political Contributions by Corporations to be Subject to the Individual Income Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 23) |
May 2, 2014 | CT | SB 455 | Amends the Funding for the Public Campaign Finance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
April 29, 2014 | MN | HF 2096 | Authorizes Online Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
April 22, 2014 | AZ | SB 1344 | Amends Responsibilities of Clean Elections Commission | Bill Passed - House (36 - 23) |
April 21, 2014 | AZ | SB 1344 | Amends Responsibilities of Clean Elections Commission | Bill Failed - House (29 - 25) |
April 10, 2014 | MO | SB 892 | Amends Presidential Primary Dates | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7) |
March 25, 2014 | NY | S 3149 | Requires the President to be Elected by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (102 - 33) |
March 20, 2014 | WI | SB 655 | Amends Campaign Finance and Lobbying Laws | Bill Passed - House (54 - 37) |
March 20, 2014 | WI | SB 324 | Amends the Absentee Voting Procedures | Bill Passed - House (56 - 38) |
March 18, 2014 | KY | SB 205 | Authorizes a Candidate to Appear on a Ballot Twice | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
March 13, 2014 | MO | HB 1902 | Amends Presidential Primary Dates | Bill Passed - House (97 - 48) |
March 12, 2014 | KS | HB 2210 | Amends the Date by Which a Voter May Change Party Affiliation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
March 12, 2014 | WI | SB 655 | Amends Campaign Finance and Lobbying Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16) |
March 12, 2014 | WI | SB 324 | Amends the Absentee Voting Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16) |
March 10, 2014 | CA | AB 800 | Authorizes the Fair Political Practices Commission to Conduct Audits and Investigations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 19) |
March 10, 2014 | UT | HB 410 | Authorizes Early Online Presidential Primaries | Bill Passed - House (58 - 14) |
Feb. 27, 2014 | AZ | SB 1344 | Amends Responsibilities of Clean Elections Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
Feb. 27, 2014 | MO | HJR 47 | Amends Election Laws | Bill Passed - House (103 - 50) |
Feb. 20, 2014 | CA | AB 800 | Authorizes the Fair Political Practices Commission to Conduct Audits and Investigations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
Feb. 20, 2014 | AZ | HB 2196 | Repeals Certain Elections Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
Feb. 19, 2014 | OH | SB 238 | Reduces Number of Absentee Voting Days | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
Feb. 19, 2014 | OH | SB 205 | Amends Absentee Ballot Voting Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
Feb. 19, 2014 | OH | SB 205 | Amends Absentee Ballot Voting Laws | Bill Passed - House (60 - 38) |
Feb. 19, 2014 | OH | SB 238 | Reduces Number of Absentee Voting Days | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |
Feb. 13, 2014 | AZ | HB 2196 | Repeals Certain Elections Laws | Bill Passed - House (36 - 23) |
Feb. 11, 2014 | NY | A 689A | Authorizes Early Voting | Bill Passed - House (93 - 43) |
Feb. 5, 2014 | TN | SJR 123 | Requires Election of Attorney General Position | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 14) |
Jan. 30, 2014 | CA | AJR 1 | Requests Constitutional Convention to Overturn Citizens United | Bill Passed - House (51 - 20) |
Jan. 16, 2014 | VT | S 82 | Amends Campaign Finance Law | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 8) |