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. 16, 2008 | OH | SB 380 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 43) |
| Dec. 11, 2008 | MI | HB 6610 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| Dec. 4, 2008 | MI | HB 4090 | Expanding Early Voting | Bill Passed - House (58 - 50) |
| Aug. 30, 2008 | CA | AB 583 | Public Financing of Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| July 15, 2008 | National | HR 5803 | Backup Paper Ballots | Bill Failed - House (248 - 170) |
| July 9, 2008 | MA | H 678 | National Popular Vote Plan | Bill Passed - House (116 - 37) |
| July 9, 2008 | MA | Jones Amdt - Presidential Electors by Congressional District | Bill Failed - House (34 - 120) | |
| July 9, 2008 | MA | Frost Amdt - National Popular Vote Plan Ratification Threshold | Bill Failed - House (34 - 120) | |
| June 27, 2008 | AZ | HCR 2024 | Election of Superior Court Judges | Resolution Failed - House (24 - 32) |
| June 26, 2008 | WV | HB 219 | Nonbroadcast Political Advertisements | Bill Passed - House (67 - 21) |
| June 19, 2008 | RI | S 2112 | National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (34 - 28) |
| June 11, 2008 | RI | S 2081 | Allowing Sixteen- and Seventeen-Year-Olds to Pre-register to Vote | Bill Passed - House (55 - 9) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 1819 | Voter Registration Age Minimum Changes | Bill Passed - House (45 - 31) |
| May 16, 2008 | MO | SB 1038 | Repealing Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 72) |
| May 8, 2008 | RI | H 7106 | Allow Sixteen- and Seventeen-Year-Olds to Pre-register to Vote | Bill Passed - House (51 - 11) |
| May 6, 2008 | KS | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 56) |
| May 6, 2008 | CO | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Conference Report Adopted - House (49 - 15) |
| May 6, 2008 | CO | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (37 - 27) |
| May 5, 2008 | MN | Severson Amendment: Income Tax Refund | Amendment Adopted - House (75 - 54) | |
| April 30, 2008 | IL | HB 5278 | Limiting County Clerk and Election Board Members' Endorsements | Bill Passed - House (63 - 48) |
| April 25, 2008 | VT | S 278 | Campaign Finance Limitations | Veto Override Failed - House (99 - 51) |
| April 23, 2008 | CO | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Bill Passed - House (36 - 29) |
| April 15, 2008 | National | HR 5036 | Federal Funding for Voting System Changes | Bill Passed - House (239 - 178) |
| April 8, 2008 | IL | HJRCA 28 | Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33) |
| April 7, 2008 | MN | Emmer Amnd. | Voter Identification Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/16 | SB 380 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 43) |
| 12/11 | HB 6610 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| 12/04 | HB 4090 | Expanding Early Voting | Bill Passed - House (58 - 50) |
| 8/30 | AB 583 | Public Financing of Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| 7/15 | HR 5803 | Backup Paper Ballots | Bill Failed - House (248 - 170) |
| 7/09 | H 678 | National Popular Vote Plan | Bill Passed - House (116 - 37) |
| 7/09 | Jones Amdt - Presidential Electors by Congressional District | Bill Failed - House (34 - 120) | |
| 7/09 | Frost Amdt - National Popular Vote Plan Ratification Threshold | Bill Failed - House (34 - 120) | |
| 6/27 | HCR 2024 | Election of Superior Court Judges | Resolution Failed - House (24 - 32) |
| 6/26 | HB 219 | Nonbroadcast Political Advertisements | Bill Passed - House (67 - 21) |
| 6/19 | S 2112 | National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (34 - 28) |
| 6/11 | S 2081 | Allowing Sixteen- and Seventeen-Year-Olds to Pre-register to Vote | Bill Passed - House (55 - 9) |
| 5/29 | AB 1819 | Voter Registration Age Minimum Changes | Bill Passed - House (45 - 31) |
| 5/16 | SB 1038 | Repealing Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 72) |
| 5/08 | H 7106 | Allow Sixteen- and Seventeen-Year-Olds to Pre-register to Vote | Bill Passed - House (51 - 11) |
| 5/06 | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 56) |
| 5/06 | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Conference Report Adopted - House (49 - 15) |
| 5/06 | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (37 - 27) |
| 5/05 | Severson Amendment: Income Tax Refund | Amendment Adopted - House (75 - 54) | |
| 4/30 | HB 5278 | Limiting County Clerk and Election Board Members' Endorsements | Bill Passed - House (63 - 48) |
| 4/25 | S 278 | Campaign Finance Limitations | Veto Override Failed - House (99 - 51) |
| 4/23 | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Bill Passed - House (36 - 29) |
| 4/15 | HR 5036 | Federal Funding for Voting System Changes | Bill Passed - House (239 - 178) |
| 4/08 | HJRCA 28 | Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33) |
| 4/07 | Emmer Amnd. | Voter Identification Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70) |