Eleanor Finch
The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961, granted the citizens of Washington, D.C., the right to vote in presidential elections. Before the amendment, Washington, D.C., was not entitled to any electors as it was not a state. The amendment gave Washington, D.C., three electoral votes, the same number as the least-populated state, and allowed its citizens to choose electors in presidential elections, effectively treating the district as a state for the purposes of the Electoral College.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Amendment Number | 23rd Amendment |
| Date of Ratification | 29 March 1961 |
| Number of Electoral Votes | 3 |
| Year of First Presidential Election Participation | 1964 |
| Voting Rights Granted | Right to vote in national presidential elections |
| Voting Rights in Congress | No voting rights in Congress |
| Right to Participate in the Process of Amending the Constitution | No |
| Voting Rights in House of Representatives | Can vote for a non-voting delegate in the House of Representatives |
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What You'll Learn
The 23rd Amendment granted DC voting rights in presidential elections
The 23rd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was ratified in 1961, granted the citizens of Washington, D.C. the right to vote in presidential elections. D.C. is a federal district and not a state, so its residents were initially unable to vote in federal elections. The Amendment gives D.C. residents the right to choose electors in presidential elections, effectively granting them voting rights.
The Amendment states:
> 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 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 Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
This means that D.C. gets to appoint a number of electors equal to the number of the least-populated state, which is three. These electors are in addition to those appointed by the individual states, and they meet in D.C. and follow the procedure set out in the 12th Amendment to cast their votes for President and Vice President.
The 23rd Amendment was the result of a long campaign by journalists, members of Congress, and political groups to grant D.C. residents the right to vote in presidential elections. As early as 1888, there were calls for a constitutional amendment, but it wasn't until the rise of the civil rights movement in the 1950s that the amendment gained widespread support. The amendment was endorsed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and both major party candidates in the 1960 presidential election. The first presidential election in which D.C. residents participated was in 1964, and since then, all but one of the district's electoral votes have been cast for the Democratic Party's presidential candidates.
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DC's three electoral votes are cast for presidential candidates
The 23rd Amendment to the United States Constitution, which was ratified in 1961, granted the citizens of Washington, D.C. the right to vote in presidential elections. Before the amendment, D.C. residents could not vote in federal elections because the district is not a state. The amendment gives D.C. residents the right to choose electors in presidential elections, effectively granting the district three electoral votes.
The amendment states:
> 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 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.
This means that D.C. gets the same number of electors as the least populous state, which is currently three. These electors are chosen by the citizens of D.C. in a popular vote, with all electors awarded to the presidential ticket that prevails in the ballot. Since the passage of the 23rd Amendment, all but one of D.C.'s electoral votes have been cast for the Democratic Party's presidential candidates.
The 23rd Amendment did not grant D.C. voting rights in Congress, nor did it give D.C. the right to participate in the process of amending the Constitution. D.C. residents can vote for a non-voting delegate in the House of Representatives, but they do not have representation in the Senate. There have been efforts to grant D.C. statehood, which would give it full representation in Congress, but these efforts have not been successful.
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DC's residents are not citizens of a state
The District of Columbia (DC) is a federal district, not a state. As a result, its residents are not considered citizens of a state. The Twenty-third Amendment, ratified in 1961, granted DC residents the right to vote in presidential elections, but they still do not have voting representation in Congress. This amendment was necessary because the Constitution grants electors only to the states, not to territories or districts.
Before the Twenty-third Amendment, DC residents were unable to vote in federal elections. The amendment gave them the right to choose electors in presidential elections, effectively granting them a say in the electoral process. DC has consistently had three members in the Electoral College since the amendment, which is the constitutionally implied minimum. These electors are chosen by popular vote and cast their votes for the presidential candidate who won the popular vote in DC.
While the Twenty-third Amendment was a significant step forward for DC residents, it did not grant them full representation or voting rights in Congress. DC is not entitled to any Senators, and while it elects a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives, this delegate cannot vote on legislation. As such, DC residents have adopted the phrase "taxation without representation", as they pay federal taxes and serve in the armed forces but lack full representation in Congress.
Efforts have been made to grant DC further representation, such as a proposed amendment in 1978 that would have given it full representation in Congress and the Electoral College. However, this amendment failed to gain enough state ratifications. The question of DC statehood remains a contentious issue, with opponents arguing that it would give the Democratic Party an unfair advantage in elections.
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The 23rd Amendment was ratified in 1961
The 23rd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1961, and it gave the residents of Washington, D.C. the right to vote in presidential elections. D.C. is a federal district, and its residents are not considered citizens of a state. As a result, they were historically unable to vote in federal elections and did not have any representation in the Electoral College.
The 23rd Amendment changed this by granting D.C. residents the right to choose electors in presidential elections, effectively giving them a voice in the Electoral College. The Amendment states that D.C. shall 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."
This means that D.C. is entitled to at least three electoral votes, which is the constitutionally implied minimum. The Amendment also specifies that these electors shall be considered the same as those appointed by a state and will meet in the District to perform their duties.
The passage of the 23rd Amendment was a significant step towards granting D.C. residents the same rights and representation as citizens of states. However, it is important to note that D.C. residents still do not have voting rights in Congress and are not represented there. The ongoing debate around D.C. statehood continues to shape the political landscape of the nation's capital.
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DC is treated like a state for the purpose of the Electoral College
The 23rd Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961, granted the citizens of Washington, D.C. the right to vote in presidential elections. The Amendment states that the District of Columbia shall 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."
This means that, while the District of Columbia is not a state, its residents are able to elect presidential electors in the same way as other states. The District gets three electoral votes in the Electoral College, the minimum number it is entitled to. This is because, while the District's population has never reached the threshold for more than three, the number of its electors cannot exceed that of the least populous state.
The Amendment was first proposed by Congress in 1960, endorsed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and ratified on March 29, 1961. The first presidential election in which the District of Columbia participated was in 1964.
Despite the 23rd Amendment granting D.C. residents the right to vote in presidential elections, they do not have voting rights in Congress. In 1978, a constitutional amendment was proposed by Congress to grant the District voting rights in Congress and the right to participate in the process of amending the Constitution. However, this amendment was not ratified by enough states. Another proposal in 1985, which would have granted the District representation in Congress and the Electoral College, as well as participation in the process of amending the Constitution, also failed to be ratified by the required number of states.
The question of D.C. statehood continues to be a topic of debate, with those in favour arguing that the 23rd Amendment and the 1973 Home Rule Act set a precedent for granting the district greater political autonomy, while opponents argue that it would give the Democratic Party an unfair advantage in elections.
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Frequently asked questions
The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961, granted the citizens of Washington, D.C., the right to vote in presidential elections.
Washington, D.C., has three electoral votes, which is the constitutionally implied minimum number it is entitled to.
The Twenty-third Amendment aimed to give the citizens of Washington, D.C., the right to participate in national presidential elections, recognising that they had the same obligations as citizens of other states.
The Twenty-third Amendment did not grant Washington, D.C., voting rights in Congress or the right to participate in amending the Constitution. However, it did grant them a non-voting delegate in the House of Representatives, and through the Council of the District of Columbia, the district gained more political autonomy.
