American Constitution - Amendments 19-27

Proposed Jun-1919, ratified 1920
Women given the right to vote

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

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

Proposed 2-Mar-1932, ratified 6-Feb-1933
Changes terms of office (to avoid "Lame Duck" sessions in Congress)

The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3rd day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.

The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3rd day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.

If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.

Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.

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.

Proposed 20-Feb-1933, ratified 5-Dec-1933
Overturns prohibition

The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

The transportation or importation into any state, territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.

This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several states, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

Proposed 21-Mar-1947, ratified 26-Feb-1951
Limits Presidential service to two terms

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

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 to the states by the Congress.

Proposed 1960, ratified 29-Mar-1961
Provides representation for District of Columbia

The district constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the 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.

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

Proposed 27-Aug-1962, ratified 23-Feb-1964
Makes poll taxes unconstitutional

The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, 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.

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

Proposed 6-Jul-1965, ratified 10-Feb-1967
Clarifies questions of succession

In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both houses of Congress.

Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Proposed 23-Mar-1971, ratified 30-Jun-1971
Lowers voting age from 21 to 18

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.

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

Proposed 1789, ratified 1992 (this was the original first amendment)

No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.

	Encyclopedia Home page Constitution top Last update: 12-Dec-99 ©1996-2004 Mike Todd	The American Constitution 5 Amendments 19-27 Note: The sub-section numbers are not in the text of the Constitution and have been added here for clarity. This also represents the current version, with various changes from the original as a result of the various amendments. Because the Constitution is a long document, I've split it into: Article 1 * Articles 2-7 Amendments 1-10 * Amendments 11-18 * Amendments 19-27
	Amendment 19	Proposed Jun-1919, ratified 1920 Women given the right to vote
	19.1	The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
	19.2	Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
	Amendment 20	Proposed 2-Mar-1932, ratified 6-Feb-1933 Changes terms of office (to avoid "Lame Duck" sessions in Congress)
	20.1	The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3rd day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.
	20.2	The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3rd day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.
	20.3	If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.
	20.4	The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them.
	20.5	Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.
	20.6	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.
	Amendment 21	Proposed 20-Feb-1933, ratified 5-Dec-1933 Overturns prohibition
	21.1	The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
	21.2	The transportation or importation into any state, territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
	21.3	This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several states, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.
	Amendment 22	Proposed 21-Mar-1947, ratified 26-Feb-1951 Limits Presidential service to two terms
	22.1	No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.
	22.2	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 to the states by the Congress.
	Amendment 23	Proposed 1960, ratified 29-Mar-1961 Provides representation for District of Columbia
	23.1	The district constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the 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.
	23.2	The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
	Amendment 24	Proposed 27-Aug-1962, ratified 23-Feb-1964 Makes poll taxes unconstitutional
	24.1	The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, 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.
	24.2	The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
	Amendment 25	Proposed 6-Jul-1965, ratified 10-Feb-1967 Clarifies questions of succession
	25.1	In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.
	25.2	Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both houses of Congress.
	25.3	Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.
	25.4	Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
	Amendment 26	Proposed 23-Mar-1971, ratified 30-Jun-1971 Lowers voting age from 21 to 18
	26.1	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.
	26.2	The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
	Amendment 27	Proposed 1789, ratified 1992 (this was the original first amendment)
		No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.
	Constitution top Encyclopedia Home page	Article 1 * Articles 2-7 Amendments 1-10 * Amendments 11-18 * Amendments 19-27

The American Constitution 5 Amendments 19-27

The American Constitution 5
Amendments 19-27