Step 2. Selecting Votes:
Key Votes are selected based on five basic criteria:
1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member of the legislature 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 PVS Hotline; the vote is added to the website
You should keep these criteria in mind as you track your assigned states. However, a vote does not necessarily have to fit all five criteria, the criteria are used on a "sliding scale". Additionally, when judging a close vote please be aware of the party line votes in your state. You will find a break down of party lines for all states in the Key Votes Drive - States - State Misc - General State Background Info - 2009 Legislative Session Information - State Legislative Monitoring. For example, in Massachusetts a vote of 138 - 21 in the House would be close, since those are the party lines.
Remember we cover votes, not specific legislation as key.
Once you have identified a vote you think is key, begin saving in an electronic file any news articles that discuss that vote. The electronic file should be kept in your individual state's folder on the Key Votes Drive under 2009 Session in the Considering folder. All bills you are considering should have a separate folder with articles on the bill and the bill text. Any press you find before selecting a vote can be saved by topic in the considering folder.
Bring to the selection meeting any votes you are considering taking. You will be asked to defend your selection in a weekly meeting with everyone working on state key votes. Feel free to bring questions on votes you are not sure if they are key or not to the meeting as well.
Before the meeting try and find the following on the legislative website:
- Bill number
- Bill title
- Any summary of the bill (if provided)
- Vote break down
Please remember to have the date of the vote and the chamber it occurred in next to the vote break down in the voting results category (Date: House or Assembly/ Senate: Vote) to be entered in the spreadsheet.
Once a vote has been selected at the weekly meeting, please add it to the Spreadsheet. Move the folder with a defense to the Selected folder and rename it with the bill number. Make sure the folders are well organized with press (Word document) and an electronic copy of the correct version of the bill text that was voted on.
