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
May 3, 2026 IA HF 2694 Restricts the Powers of the Governor During Emergency Situations (31 - 14)
May 3, 2026 IA HF 2788 Requires an In-Person Examination Prior to any Abortion Procedure Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 11)
May 3, 2026 IA HF 2787 Prohibits the Operation of Warrant Resolution Clinics Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 12)
May 2, 2026 IA HF 2542 Establishes a Mandatory Minimum Sentence of Seven Years for Individuals Convicted of a Third Felony Offense Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 20)
May 2, 2026 IA HF 2542 Establishes a Mandatory Minimum Sentence of Seven Years for Individuals Convicted of a Third Felony Offense Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 6)
May 2, 2026 IA SF 2480 Establishes an Additional Tax on Alternative Nicotine Products Bill Passed - House (67 - 18)
May 1, 2026 IA HF 2788 Requires an In-Person Examination Prior to any Abortion Procedure Bill Passed - House (58 - 29)
April 29, 2026 IA HF 2787 Prohibits the Operation of Warrant Resolution Clinics Bill Passed - House (71 - 20)
March 10, 2026 IA HF 2694 Restricts the Powers of the Governor During Emergency Situations Bill Passed - House (67 - 23)
March 9, 2026 IA SF 579 Prohibits Local Agencies From Enacting Civil Rights Protections That are More Strict Than Those Required by the State Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 16)
March 5, 2026 IA SF 579 Prohibits Local Agencies From Enacting Civil Rights Protections That are More Strict Than Those Required by the State Bill Passed - House (60 - 26)
March 3, 2026 IA HF 2513 Prohibits Public Universities From Hiring Certain Visa Holders Bill Passed - House (68 - 27)
Feb. 25, 2026 IA SF 2187 Requires the Department of Transportation to Use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program to Verify Drivers' Citizenship Status Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 5)
Feb. 25, 2026 IA SF 2203 Requires the Secretary of State to Use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program to Verify Registered Voters' Citizenship Status Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/03 HF 2694 Restricts the Powers of the Governor During Emergency Situations (31 - 14)
5/03 HF 2788 Requires an In-Person Examination Prior to any Abortion Procedure Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 11)
5/03 HF 2787 Prohibits the Operation of Warrant Resolution Clinics Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 12)
5/02 HF 2542 Establishes a Mandatory Minimum Sentence of Seven Years for Individuals Convicted of a Third Felony Offense Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 20)
5/02 HF 2542 Establishes a Mandatory Minimum Sentence of Seven Years for Individuals Convicted of a Third Felony Offense Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 6)
5/02 SF 2480 Establishes an Additional Tax on Alternative Nicotine Products Bill Passed - House (67 - 18)
5/01 HF 2788 Requires an In-Person Examination Prior to any Abortion Procedure Bill Passed - House (58 - 29)
4/29 HF 2787 Prohibits the Operation of Warrant Resolution Clinics Bill Passed - House (71 - 20)
3/10 HF 2694 Restricts the Powers of the Governor During Emergency Situations Bill Passed - House (67 - 23)
3/09 SF 579 Prohibits Local Agencies From Enacting Civil Rights Protections That are More Strict Than Those Required by the State Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 16)
3/05 SF 579 Prohibits Local Agencies From Enacting Civil Rights Protections That are More Strict Than Those Required by the State Bill Passed - House (60 - 26)
3/03 HF 2513 Prohibits Public Universities From Hiring Certain Visa Holders Bill Passed - House (68 - 27)
2/25 SF 2187 Requires the Department of Transportation to Use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program to Verify Drivers' Citizenship Status Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 5)
2/25 SF 2203 Requires the Secretary of State to Use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program to Verify Registered Voters' Citizenship Status Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13)

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