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
Dec. 4, 2012 IL SB 957 Authorizes Temporary Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 14)
Nov. 30, 2012 National HR 6429 STEM Jobs Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (245 - 139)
Sept. 20, 2012 National HR 6429 STEM Jobs Act of 2012 Bill Failed - House (257 - 158)
Aug. 30, 2012 CA AB 2189 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Individuals Ineligible for a Social Security Number Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 21)
Aug. 29, 2012 CA AB 2189 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Individuals Ineligible for a Social Security Number Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7)
Aug. 24, 2012 CA AB 1081 Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 26)
July 5, 2012 CA AB 1081 Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
May 16, 2012 AL HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37)
May 16, 2012 AL HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
May 2, 2012 NH HB 1383 Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5)
April 19, 2012 AL HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - House (64 - 34)
April 16, 2012 TN SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - House (63 - 29)
April 12, 2012 TN SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
April 11, 2012 NE LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
April 9, 2012 CO SB 15 College Tuition Rates for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
March 15, 2012 NH HB 1405 Authorizes Moratoriums on Refugee Resettlements Bill Passed - House (190 - 109)
March 14, 2012 MS HB 488 Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - House (70 - 47)
March 5, 2012 GA SB 458 Repeals Certain Public Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19)
Feb. 14, 2012 VA HB 1060 Requires Law Enforcement to Ask About Immigration Status During an Arrest Bill Passed - House (75 - 25)
Feb. 13, 2012 NM SB 235 Restricting Driver's Licenses for Foreign Nationals Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 15)
Feb. 8, 2012 NM HB 103 Increasing Regulation of Driver's Licenses Issued to Foreign Nationals Bill Passed - House (45 - 25)
Feb. 1, 2012 NH HB 1383 Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents Bill Passed - House (250 - 88)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/04 SB 957 Authorizes Temporary Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 14)
11/30 HR 6429 STEM Jobs Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (245 - 139)
9/20 HR 6429 STEM Jobs Act of 2012 Bill Failed - House (257 - 158)
8/30 AB 2189 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Individuals Ineligible for a Social Security Number Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 21)
8/29 AB 2189 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Individuals Ineligible for a Social Security Number Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7)
8/24 AB 1081 Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 26)
7/05 AB 1081 Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
5/16 HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37)
5/16 HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
5/02 HB 1383 Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5)
4/19 HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - House (64 - 34)
4/16 SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - House (63 - 29)
4/12 SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
4/11 LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
4/09 SB 15 College Tuition Rates for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
3/15 HB 1405 Authorizes Moratoriums on Refugee Resettlements Bill Passed - House (190 - 109)
3/14 HB 488 Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - House (70 - 47)
3/05 SB 458 Repeals Certain Public Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19)
2/14 HB 1060 Requires Law Enforcement to Ask About Immigration Status During an Arrest Bill Passed - House (75 - 25)
2/13 SB 235 Restricting Driver's Licenses for Foreign Nationals Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 15)
2/08 HB 103 Increasing Regulation of Driver's Licenses Issued to Foreign Nationals Bill Passed - House (45 - 25)
2/01 HB 1383 Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents Bill Passed - House (250 - 88)

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