The 23rd Amendment Explained

The 23rd Amendment is part of the U.S. Constitution and gives Washington, D.C. the right to participate in presidential elections through the Electoral College.

"The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States 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..."

Who Does the Twenty-Third Amendment Affect?

The Federal Government

The Federal Government must include Washington, D.C. in the Electoral College when choosing the President and Vice President.

State Governments

State Governments continue to choose their own presidential electors under the Constitution and federal law.

The People

People living in Washington, D.C. can vote for President and Vice President through Electoral College votes.

What Does the Twenty-Third Amendment Do?

Section 1

Gives Washington, D.C. electoral votes in presidential elections. D.C. cannot receive more electoral votes than the state with the fewest electoral votes.

Section 2

Gives Congress the power to make laws that enforce this amendment.

The 23rd Amendment does not:

Give Washington, D.C., voting members in the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate.

How Does the Twenty-Third Amendment Work?

During a presidential election, voters in Washington, D.C. vote for the presidential and vice presidential candidates they support.

D.C. then appoints electors who cast Electoral College votes for those candidates.

Today, Washington, D.C. has 3 electoral votes.

Where Does the Twenty-Third Amendment Apply?

Washington, D.C.

It gives residents of the nation's capital a role in presidential elections.

Presidential Elections

It allows D.C. voters to participate in choosing the President and Vice President.

Electoral College

It gives D.C. electoral votes in presidential elections.

Why Was the Twenty-Third Amendment Established?

Before the amendment, Washington, D.C. residents could not vote for President because D.C. was not a state and had no electoral votes.

The amendment gave D.C. residents a voice in presidential elections.

When Was the Twenty-Third Amendment Approved?

The 23rd Amendment was proposed by Congress on June 16, 1960, and approved by the states on March 29, 1961, about 9 months later.

It became the first constitutional amendment to give Washington, D.C. a role in presidential elections.