Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution

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The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution grants Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, the right to participate in the Electoral College system, which elects the President of the United States and the Vice President of the United States. Prior to the amendment's ratification in 1961, residents of the District of Columbia did not have the right to vote for the president and vice president because the District is not a state. The amendment addressed this issue by providing D.C. with electors in the Electoral College, equal to the number of electors of the least populous state, but no more than three; as of the current system, D.C. has three electors.

Text

The text of the Twenty-third Amendment reads as follows:

Section 1. The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct:

A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no case more than the least populous State; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the States, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.

Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Background

Before the Twenty-third Amendment, residents of Washington, D.C. were excluded from the electoral process for President and Vice President. This exclusion was a significant issue because D.C. residents still had to pay federal taxes and were subject to the same laws and responsibilities as citizens in states, including military draft. The movement to provide D.C. residents with voting rights in presidential elections gained momentum after World War II, highlighting the principle of "no taxation without representation."

Ratification

The amendment was proposed by the Congress of the United States on June 16, 1960, and was ratified by the requisite number of states on March 29, 1961. The ratification process underscored a growing recognition of the importance of extending democratic rights to all citizens, including those living in the nation's capital.

Impact

The ratification of the Twenty-third Amendment has had a significant impact on the political landscape of the United States. It has allowed residents of Washington, D.C., to participate in the presidential elections, giving them a voice in the selection of the nation's leaders. However, the amendment did not grant D.C. residents the right to representation in the United States Congress, an issue that remains a subject of ongoing debate and advocacy for full democratic rights.

Contemporary Issues

The Twenty-third Amendment has also sparked discussions about the broader rights of D.C. residents, including the push for Washington, D.C. statehood. Advocates for statehood argue that it would provide full congressional representation and complete control over local affairs, which they view as the next steps in achieving full democratic rights for the residents of D.C.

See Also

• Amendments to the United States Constitution
• Electoral College (United States)
• Voting rights in the United States
• District of Columbia statehood movement