Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution facts for kids

The Twenty-third Amendment (also known as Amendment XXIII) is an important part of the U.S. Constitution. It gives people living in Washington, D.C. the right to vote in the presidential election. Before this amendment, people in D.C. could not vote for president or vice president.

This amendment gives Washington, D.C., a certain number of electors in the Electoral College, just like a state would have. However, it says that D.C. can never have more electors than the state with the fewest people. Right now, that means D.C. gets three electoral votes. The 86th U.S. Congress suggested this amendment on June 16, 1960, and states officially approved it on March 29, 1961.

Why was Washington, D.C. created?

When the U.S. Constitution was first approved, the nation's capital was New York City. But the Constitution said that Congress should have a special area, not bigger than ten miles square, to be the permanent home of the U.S. government. This area would be controlled only by Congress.

Choosing where to put the new capital was a big political decision. Leaders like Alexander Hamilton wanted the main U.S. bank in Philadelphia. In return, a special district would be created on the Potomac River, which was closer to the southern states. This new district would become the capital.

George Washington chose the spot for the new capital, and it was officially founded on July 16, 1790. He appointed people to get the city ready for the government to move there in 1800. While the city was being built, Philadelphia served as the capital from 1790 to 1800.

How did D.C. residents get the right to vote?

In 1800, Washington, D.C., became the nation's capital as planned. At that time, only about 5,000 people lived there. Because D.C. was a federal territory and not a state, its residents did not have their own local or state government. They also could not vote in federal elections, including for president.

For many years, people in D.C. wanted the right to vote for president. The Twenty-third Amendment was passed by Congress on June 17, 1960, and approved by the states on March 29, 1961. It changed things by treating Washington, D.C., like a state for the purpose of presidential elections. This meant that citizens living in D.C. could finally vote for president and vice president.

The amendment gives D.C. the same number of electors it would have if it were a state. However, it specifically says D.C. cannot have more electors than the state with the smallest population. This is why D.C. currently has three electoral votes. It's important to remember that the amendment does not make D.C. a state, and its citizens still do not have voting representatives in Congress. Congress continues to govern the district.

What was the political impact?

When the Twenty-third Amendment was passed in 1961, Washington, D.C., was not seen as strongly favoring one political party. However, since then, the District has become very supportive of the Democratic Party. More African-Americans began voting in D.C. than in earlier years. By 1970, about 71% of the people in D.C. were Black.

Because of these changes, Washington, D.C., has given its three electoral votes to the Democratic candidate in every single presidential election since 1964. Even though D.C. always votes Democratic, its electoral votes have not yet been the deciding factor in any presidential election. For example, when Jimmy Carter won the presidency in 1976, he had a majority of 56 electoral votes, much more than D.C.'s three votes.

Images for kids

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  The Twenty-third Amendment in the National Archives

See also

In Spanish: Vigesimotercera Enmienda a la Constitución de los Estados Unidos para niños