Amendment XXIII

Amendment XXIII

Text of the Amendment

SECTION 1. The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as 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.

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

Understanding the Amendment

The District of Columbia shall be treated as an official state in the event of a presidential election. Thus, the number of presidential electors in the District must be equal to the number of senators and representatives in Congress, if the District were considered a state, but this number should not exceed that of the least populous state. These electors will act as electors appointed by an official state, and shall execute the duties mentioned in the twelfth amendment. The Congress has the power to enforce this amendment.

History of the Amendment

The amendment was proposed on June 16, 1960, and then ratified on March 29, 1961. During the 1820’s, Congress sanctioned a local government in the city of Washington, and allowed residents to vote for a mayor and city council. In 1871, Congress manually created a territorial government, and the President appointed officials, as well as a legislative assembly. However, three years later, 1874, Congress abandoned the aforementioned system, and took direct control over the city government. From 1874 to 1960, residents of Washington were denied the right to vote for a President, despite their subjectivity to local and federal taxes, as well as military service drafts. This act of negligence was rectified by the 23rd amendment, as its proposition and ratification gave residents of Washington the right to vote for their president, and provided the District with three presidential electors.

Effects of the Amendment on the United States

With the passage of the 23rd amendment, the District of Columbia experienced a substantial political leaning towards the Democratic Party. African-Americans attributed greatly to this, as their voting percentage skyrocketed in comparison to the two previous decades: 1950 and 1940. In fact, since the ratification of the amendment, the District has devoted all of its electorate votes to a Democratic presidential candidate. This amendment has also led to more further legislation within the District. On December 24, 1973, the Congressionally approved District of Columbia Rule Act was established; legislation that provides an elected office of mayor and and 13 member council for the district. This local governing body is endowed with the standard power of municipal administration. The amendment has also acted as a precedent for subsequent demands for District representation in Congress. On August 22, 1978, Congress proposed the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, a piece of legislation that would give the District full representation in Congress. However, this amendment never came into fruition, as it failed to be soundly ratified.

Effects of the Amendment on Me

This amendment does not affect me directly, nor does it technically pertain to me. Still, the amendment does affect the tide of presidential election, and an elected president may establish legislation that affects me. Thus, logically, the amendment does affect me, even though it does so in an extremely indirect manner.