Simone Lawson
The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961, grants the District of Columbia – the US capital city – the right to participate in presidential elections. Before this amendment, citizens in the District could not vote in these elections unless they were registered in one of the states. The amendment gives the District electors in the Electoral College, as if it were a state, though the District can never have more electors than the least populous state.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Twenty-third Amendment (Amendment XXIII) |
| Purpose | Extending the right to participate in presidential elections to the District of Columbia |
| Date proposed | June 16, 1960 |
| Date ratified | March 29, 1961 |
| Number of states required for ratification | 38 |
| Number of states that ratified | 38 |
| Popular support | The civil rights movement in the 1950s |
| Endorsements | President Dwight D. Eisenhower and both major party candidates in the 1960 presidential election |
| First applicable election | 1964 presidential election |
| Number of members in the Electoral College | 3 |
| Minimum number of electors | Equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State |
| Maximum number of electors | No more than the least populous State |
| District's political affiliation | Predominantly Democratic |
| Status of District of Columbia | Not a State |
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What You'll Learn
The 23rd Amendment grants Washington D.C. voting rights
The 23rd Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified on March 29, 1961, grants Washington D.C. residents the right to vote in presidential elections. Before this amendment, citizens in the District could not vote for the President or Vice President unless they were registered to vote in one of the states.
The 23rd Amendment was proposed by the 86th Congress on June 16, 1960, and was quickly ratified as part of the Constitution. The Amendment allows American citizens residing in the District of Columbia to vote for presidential electors, who in turn vote in the Electoral College for President and Vice President. In layperson's terms, the Amendment means that residents of Washington D.C. are able to vote for the President and Vice President.
The District of Columbia, or Washington D.C., is the capital city of the United States and the seat of its government. While the District is not a state, the 23rd Amendment grants it electors in the Electoral College, as though it were one. The number of electors cannot exceed that of the least populous state. How these electors are appointed is determined by Congress.
The 23rd Amendment was the result of increasing calls for Washington D.C. to gain voting rights in the early to mid-20th century. As early as 1888, some journalists and members of Congress favoured a constitutional amendment to grant the district electoral votes. However, it wasn't until the rise of the civil rights movement in the 1950s that the amendment gained widespread support. The amendment was not seen as a partisan measure and was endorsed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and both major party candidates in the 1960 presidential election.
In the decades following the 23rd Amendment, Washington D.C. gained more political autonomy through the Council of the District of Columbia, the governing body that oversees the federal district under the executive rule of Congress. While Washington D.C. has gained greater self-rule, it is still ultimately controlled by Congress. In recent years, a movement has emerged calling for D.C. to become a state, which has sparked divided perspectives and contentious debates.
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The Amendment gives D.C. a voice in presidential elections
The 23rd Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified on March 29, 1961, gives Washington, D.C. (the District of Columbia) a voice in presidential elections. Before this amendment, citizens in the District could not vote for the President or Vice President unless they were registered to vote in one of the states. This was because the Electoral College, which elects the President, only granted electors to states, not to territories or districts.
The 23rd Amendment changed this by granting electors to the District of Columbia, allowing it to participate in presidential elections. The District is given a number of electors equal to the number of Senators and Representatives in Congress that it would have if it were a state. However, the District can never have more electors than the least populous state. These electors are in addition to those appointed by the states and are considered, for the purposes of the election, to be electors appointed by a state.
The movement for D.C. to gain electoral power gained momentum in the early to mid-20th century, with increased federal authority following the Great Depression and World War II. In 1888, a bill to amend the Constitution and grant the District of Columbia voting rights in presidential elections was introduced in Congress but did not pass. In the 1950s, with the rise of the civil rights movement, support for such an amendment grew, and it was endorsed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and both major party candidates in the 1960 presidential election.
The 23rd Amendment was proposed by the 86th Congress on June 16, 1960, and ratified by the requisite number of states (38) on March 29, 1961. The first presidential election in which the District of Columbia participated was in 1964. Since then, the District has consistently had three members in the Electoral College, as its population has never reached the threshold for more.
The 23rd Amendment has been important in giving D.C. residents a voice in presidential elections and has led to further discussions about the District's political status and autonomy. While it has not made the District a state, it has granted it some of the rights and powers typically associated with statehood, such as the ability to elect a Mayor and Council. There is an ongoing movement for D.C. to become a state, which has been met with divided perspectives and debates about the potential impact on the country's political landscape.
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The Amendment passes despite partisan concerns
The 23rd Amendment to the US Constitution extends the right to participate in presidential elections to the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.). Before the Amendment, citizens in the District could not vote in presidential elections unless they were registered to vote in one of the States.
The Amendment was proposed by the 86th Congress on June 16, 1960, and ratified on March 29, 1961, when Ohio became the 38th State to approve it, fulfilling the requirement that three-quarters of the States ratify the Amendment. The Amendment grants the District electors in the Electoral College, as though it were a State, though the District can never have more electors than the least populous State. The manner in which these electors are appointed is determined by Congress.
The Amendment was not seen as a partisan measure and was endorsed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and both major party candidates in the 1960 presidential election. However, in the decades following its ratification, the political affiliation of D.C.'s voters shifted from relatively balanced to predominantly Democratic, making the district a near-constant source of electoral support for the Democratic Party. This has led to concerns that making D.C. a state would give the Democrats an unfair advantage in elections.
Despite these partisan concerns, the Amendment was passed, giving the District a voice in presidential elections and allowing its residents to vote for President and Vice President.
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D.C. is not a state, but has some state-like attributes
The 23rd Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in 1961, extends the right to participate in presidential elections to the District of Columbia (D.C.), the capital city of the United States. While D.C. is not a state, it has gained some state-like attributes over the years.
Before the 23rd Amendment, D.C. residents could not vote in presidential elections unless they were registered to vote in one of the states. The Amendment grants D.C. electors in the Electoral College, as if it were a state, though it can never have more electors than the least populous state. The manner of appointing these electors is determined by Congress. This amendment was the result of increasing political advocacy for D.C. to have electoral power in the early to mid-20th century, particularly after the Great Depression and World War II.
D.C. has gained a degree of self-rule and political autonomy through the Council of the District of Columbia, its governing body under the executive rule of Congress. D.C. residents can elect a mayor and a council, and the district is treated like a state for certain purposes, such as levying and collecting federal and local taxes, service in the armed forces, diversity jurisdiction, and regulating commerce.
Despite these state-like attributes, D.C. is still subject to the exclusive legislative control of Congress, and it does not have all the rights and powers granted to states. The 23rd Amendment specifically states that it does not give D.C. any other attributes of a state beyond the right to participate in presidential elections. The debate around D.C. statehood continues, with supporters arguing that the 23rd Amendment and the 1973 Home Rule Act set a precedent for granting the district electoral power and that statehood is the next logical step. Opponents argue that D.C. statehood would give the Democratic Party an unfair advantage in elections.
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The Amendment was ratified on March 29, 1961
The 23rd Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified on March 29, 1961, when Ohio became the 38th state to approve it. This fulfilled the requirement that three-quarters of states ratify an amendment for it to be added to the Constitution. The Amendment was proposed by the 86th Congress on June 16, 1960, and was quickly ratified.
The Amendment was the result of a long campaign to give Washington, D.C. (the District of Columbia) the right to participate in presidential elections. Before the Amendment, citizens in the District could not vote for the President or Vice President unless they were registered to vote in one of the states. The District is referred to in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, which gives Congress the power to govern the area as the Seat of the Government of the United States. However, the Electoral College only granted electors to states, not territories or districts.
The 23rd Amendment changed this by granting electors to the District of Columbia, allowing it to participate in presidential elections. The Amendment states that the District will appoint:
> "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 event 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."
The Amendment did not make the District of Columbia a state, but it did give its residents the right to vote for the President and Vice President. The first presidential election in which the District participated was in 1964.
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Frequently asked questions
The 23rd Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified on March 29, 1961, gives electors to the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) so that it may participate in presidential elections.
The 23rd Amendment was necessary because, prior to its ratification, citizens in the District of Columbia could not vote in presidential elections unless they were registered to vote in one of the states. The District is not a state and so was not entitled to any electors before the Amendment.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the political affiliation of D.C.'s voters shifted from relatively balanced to predominantly Democratic, making the district a near-constantly consistent electoral pool for the party in elections.
