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. 5, 2026 | MD | SB 5 | Amends the State Constitution to Require Special Elections at the Same Time as Regular Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 1) |
| Feb. 4, 2026 | NY | S 496 | Requires Employers to Inform Their Employees of Certain Parties with Whom They May Share Otherwise Protected Information | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 0) |
| Jan. 27, 2026 | CA | SB 747 | Authorizes Individuals to File Lawsuits Against Any Federal, State, or Local Official Who Violates Their Constitutional Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10) |
| Jan. 26, 2026 | SD | SJR 501 | Amends the State Constitution to Establish Term Limits for Members of the Legislature | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| Jan. 16, 2026 | VA | HJ 2 | Establishes a Constitutional Amendment that Restores Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| Jan. 16, 2026 | VA | HJ 4 | Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Authorize Redistricting Outside of the Decennial Cycle if Another State Also Redistricts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/05 | SB 5 | Amends the State Constitution to Require Special Elections at the Same Time as Regular Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 1) |
| 2/04 | S 496 | Requires Employers to Inform Their Employees of Certain Parties with Whom They May Share Otherwise Protected Information | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 0) |
| 1/27 | SB 747 | Authorizes Individuals to File Lawsuits Against Any Federal, State, or Local Official Who Violates Their Constitutional Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10) |
| 1/26 | SJR 501 | Amends the State Constitution to Establish Term Limits for Members of the Legislature | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| 1/16 | HJ 2 | Establishes a Constitutional Amendment that Restores Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| 1/16 | HJ 4 | Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Authorize Redistricting Outside of the Decennial Cycle if Another State Also Redistricts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |