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District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment facts for kids

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The District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment was a proposed change to the U.S. Constitution. It aimed to give Washington, D.C. (our nation's capital) full voting rights in the U.S. Congress. It also wanted to give D.C. a full role in choosing the President through the Electoral College. Plus, it would have allowed D.C. to help change the Constitution, just like states do.

Congress suggested this amendment on August 22, 1978. However, it needed 38 states to agree to it (ratify it) to become part of the Constitution. By the time the deadline passed on August 22, 1985, only 16 states had ratified it. This meant it failed and did not become law.

What the Amendment Said

This amendment had four main parts, called sections. Here's what each section meant in simpler terms:

Section 1
For purposes of representation in the Congress, election of the President and Vice President, and article V of this Constitution, the District constituting the seat of government of the United States shall be treated as though it were a State.

Section 2
The exercise of the rights and powers conferred under this article shall be by the people of the District constituting the seat of government, and as shall be provided by the Congress.

Section 3
The twenty-third article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

Section 4
This article shall be inoperative, unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission.

Breaking Down the Sections

  • Section 1: This part said that for voting in Congress, electing the President and Vice President, and changing the Constitution, Washington, D.C. should be treated like a state.
  • Section 2: This section explained that the people of D.C. would use these new rights and powers. How they would do this would be decided by Congress.
  • Section 3: This part would have canceled out the Twenty-third Amendment. The Twenty-third Amendment currently gives D.C. some votes in the Electoral College, but not full representation like a state.
  • Section 4: This section set a rule for the amendment to become law. It said that the amendment would only work if three-fourths (38) of the states approved it within seven years.

How the Amendment Was Proposed

A representative from California named Don Edwards first suggested this idea in Congress.

Voting in Congress

After passing both the House and the Senate, the proposed amendment was sent to the states. They had to decide if they wanted to approve it. Congress added a rule that states had seven years to ratify it. This deadline was written right into the amendment's text. This meant the deadline could not be changed later, unlike with some other proposed amendments.

States That Voted for It

For the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment to become part of the Constitution, at least 38 out of the 50 states needed to approve it by August 22, 1985. However, during those seven years, only 16 states ratified it. Because it didn't get enough votes, it failed.

Here are the states that approved the amendment:

What Would Have Happened if It Passed?

If this amendment had been approved, it would have changed things for Washington, D.C. in several ways:

  • Full Representation in Congress: D.C. would have had voting members in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, just like a state. Currently, D.C. has a non-voting delegate in the House.
  • Electoral College: The amendment would have given D.C. full participation in the Electoral College. This means D.C. would have had the same power as states in choosing the President and Vice President. It would have also canceled the Twenty-third Amendment, which limits D.C.'s electoral votes.
  • Amending the Constitution: D.C. would have been able to take part in the process of changing the Constitution. This means D.C. could have voted to approve new amendments or ask for a special meeting to propose changes, just like states can.

It's important to know that even if this amendment passed, Washington, D.C. would not have become a state. Also, Congress would still have had authority over D.C.

Images for kids

  • District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment ratification

    States shown in blue ratified the amendment

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Propuesta de enmienda sobre el derecho de voto del Distrito de Columbia de la Constitución de los Estados Unidos para niños

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