Amendments 23-27
Modern Amendments (1961-1992)
Constitutional Text
Amendment XXIII (1961). Section 1. 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...
Amendment XXIV (1964). Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote... shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.
Amendment XXV (1967). Section 1. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President... Section 2. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President...
Amendment XXVI (1971). Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.
Amendment XXVII (1992). No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.
Amendments Summary
23rd Amendment (1961)
D.C. Electoral Votes - Gives Washington D.C. 3 electoral votes for presidential elections. D.C. still has no voting representation in Congress.
24th Amendment (1964)
Banned poll taxes - Poll taxes had been used to prevent poor and minority voters from voting. Part of civil rights movement.
25th Amendment (1967)
Presidential succession - VP becomes President if President dies/resigns.
President nominates new VP if vacancy.
Process for temporary transfer of power (e.g., during surgery).
26th Amendment (1971)
Voting age lowered to 18 - "Old enough to fight, old enough to vote." Response to Vietnam War draft of 18-year-olds.
27th Amendment (1992)
Congressional pay raises delayed until after next election. Originally proposed in 1789 with Bill of Rights; took 203 years to ratify!
Interesting Facts
- 25th Amendment was used when Nixon resigned (Ford became President) and when Ford nominated Rockefeller as VP.
- 26th Amendment was ratified in just 100 days - the fastest ever.
- 27th Amendment took 202 years, 7 months, and 12 days to ratify - the longest ever.
Key Takeaways
- 24th & 26th Amendments expanded voting rights
- 25th Amendment clarifies presidential succession
- 27th Amendment - most recent (1992)
- Modern amendments reflect civil rights & Vietnam era