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
Feb. 19, 2026 NH HB 1792 Prohibits the Instruction of Critical Race Theory and LGBTQ+ Issues in Schools "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (184 - 164)
Feb. 19, 2026 FL SB 178 Authorizes K-12 Athletic Coaches to Use Some Personal Funds for Student Welfare Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
Feb. 17, 2026 FL HB 1073 Authorizes School Board Members Access to All School District Documents Bill Passed - House (96 - 10)
Jan. 29, 2026 IN SB 88 Requires Public Schools to Incorporate Certain Personal Values into Instruction Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 9)
Jan. 28, 2026 MI SB 495 Requires Schools to Establish Protocols for Authorized Cellphone Use During Emergencies Bill Passed - House (100 - 3)
Jan. 26, 2026 SD SB 85 Requires Electorate Approval for a School District to Exceed Property Tax Limits Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
Jan. 22, 2026 MI SB 495 Requires Schools to Establish Protocols for Authorized Cellphone Use During Emergencies Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 1)
Jan. 15, 2026 MS HB 2 Authorizes Money From the State Education Fund to be Used for Private School Expenses Bill Passed - House (61 - 59)
Jan. 7, 2026 NH SB 33 Restricts Learning Materials Authorized for Use by Students in Public School Districts "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - House (181 - 157)
Jan. 7, 2026 MS SB 2002 Repeals the Requirement for Public School Students' Home Districts to Approve a Transfer to a New District Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 19)

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