Entering Votes Addendum - Notes
It is not always easy to recognize the need for a note. There are times when you know right away that a note is necessary (substitute bill text, constitutional amendment, etc.), but there will be times when choosing notes requires careful examination. When you begin vote entry, you will need to address the following methods for including notes:Please ensure that you are using the correct method for adding notes. There are two places where you can select notes:
- At the top of the screen where the information for the introduced stage is entered:
- At the bottom of the screen when dealing with a specific status:
When determining where to select the note, always look to minimize the number of times the note will appear on the website. This can be achieved by adhering to the following guidelines:
- If the note can be applied to all key vote statuses, select the note at the top of the screen where the information for the introduced stage is entered. Do not select the note at the bottom of the screen for any specific status. In doing so, the note will appear under the Vote Smart synopsis, and not under the status in the bill history. Here is an example:
- If the note can be applied to one status, but not to the rest, select the note at the bottom of the screen when dealing with that status. In doing so, the note will appear below the Vote Smart synopsis and the status in the bill history, provided you're looking at the webpage for that particular stage. Otherwise, it will only appear in the bill history. Here is an example:
- Never select the note both at the top of the screen (introduced status) and the bottom (specific status). In doing so, the note will appear twice below the Vote Smart synopsis. Here is an example:
