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 1793.2] article by appropriate legislation. The twenty-third amendment 17 was ratified by the several State legislatures on the following dates: Hawaii, June 23, 1960 (technical correction, June 30, 1960); Massachusetts, August 22, 1960; New Jersey, December 19, 1960; New York, January 17, 1961; California, January 19, 1961; Oregon, January 27, 1961; Maryland, January 30, 1961; Idaho, January 31, 1961; Maine, January 31, 1961; Minnesota, January 31, 1961; New Mexico, February 1, 1961; Nevada, February 2, 1961; Montana, February 6, 1961; Colorado, February 8, 1961; Washington, February 9, 1961; West Virginia, February 9, 1961; Alaska, February 10, 1961; Wyoming, February 13, 1961; South Dakota, February 14, 1961 (date of filing in Office of Secretary of State of South Dakota); Delaware, February 20, 1961; Utah, February 21, 1961; Wisconsin, February 21, 1961; Pennsylvania, February 28, 1961; Indiana, March 3, 1961; North Dakota, March 3, 1961; Tennessee, March 6, 1961; Michigan, March 8, 1961; Connecticut, March 9, 1961; Arizona, March 10, 1961; Illinois, March 14, 1961; Nebraska, March 15, 1961; Vermont, March 15, 1961; Iowa, March 16, 1961; Missouri, March 20, 1961; Oklahoma, March 21, 1961; Rhode Island, March 22, 1961; Kansas, March 29, 1961; Ohio, March 29, 1961; New Hampshire, March 30, 1961 (date in official notice; preceded by ratification on March 29, 1961, which was annulled and repeated March 30). Arkansas rejected the proposal on January 24, 1961. 17 The twenty-third amendment was proposed by Congress on June 16, 1960, when the Senate agreed to S.J. Res. 39, 86th Cong., as passed by the House of Representatives on June 14; which action consisted of substituting H.J. Res 757 for the original text of S.J. Res. 39 [106 Cong. Rec. (86th Cong., 2d sess.) 12571]. S.J. Res. 39 as approved by the Senate on February 2, 1960 [106 Cong. Rec. (86th Cong., 2d sess.) 12850-58], for the first time since 1789, proposed several unrelated articles of amendment, though several amendments cover several points in sections of an article; as finally proposed it dealt with a single matter. It appears officially in 74 Stat. 1057 under date of June 16, 1960. Ratification was completed on March 29, 1961, when the legislature of the thirty-eighth State (Ohio) approved the amend. ment, there being then fifty States in the Union. The identity of the thirty-eighth State was in doubt until New Hampshire by "official notice" determined March 30 as the date of its ratification. On April 3, 1961, the Administrator of General Services, John L. Moore, certified that this amendment had become a part of the Constitution (26 F.R. 2808 and 75 Stat. 847). [794] [794.1] [794.2] AMENDMENT [XXIV] SECTION 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. SECTION 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. The twenty-fourth amendment 18 was ratified by the several State legislatures on the following dates: Illinois, November 14, 1962; New Jersey, December 3, 1962; Oregon, January 25, 1963; Montana, January 28, 1963; West Virginia, February 1, 1963; New York, February 4, 1963; Maryland, February 6, 1963; California, February 7, 1963; Alaska, February 11, 1963; Rhode Island, February 14, 1963; Indiana, February 19, 1963; Utah, February 20, 1963; Michigan, February 20, 1963; Colorado, February 21, 1963; Ohio, February 27, 1963; Minnesota, February 27, 1963; New Mexico, March 5, 1963; Hawaii, March 6, 1963; North Dakota, March 7, 1963; Idaho, March 8, 1963; Washington, March 14, 1963; Vermont, March 15, 1963; Nevada, March 19, 1963; Connecticut, March 20, 1963; Tennessee, March 21, 1963; Pennsylvania, March 25, 1963; Wisconsin, March 26, 1963; Kansas, March 28, 1963; Massachusetts, March 28, 1963; Nebraska, April 4, 1963; Florida, April 18, 1963; Iowa, April 24, 1963; Delaware, May 1, 1963; Missouri, May 13, 1963; New Hampshire, June 12, 1963; Kentucky, June 27, 1963; Maine, January 16, 1964; South Dakota, January 23, 1964. Mississippi rejected the proposal on December 20, 1962. 18 The twenty-fourth amendment was proposed by Congress on August 27, 1962, when it passed the House [108 Cong. Rec. (87th Cong., 2d sess.) 1767], having previously passed the Senate on March 27, 1962 [Id., 5105]. It appears officially in 76 Stat. 1259 under date of August 29, 1962. Ratification was completed on January 23, 1964, when the legislature of the thirtyeighth State (South Dakota) approved the amendment, there being then fifty States in the Union. On February 4, 1964, the Administrator of General Services, Bernard L. Boutin, certified that this amendment had become a part of the Constitution (29 F.R. 1715). AMENDMENT [XXV] [795] SECTION 1. In case of the removal of the President from [795.1] office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President. SECTION 2. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of [795.2] 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. SECTION 3. Whenever the President transmits to the Presi- [795.3] dent 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. SECTION 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority [795.4] 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. Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days 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. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both. Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office. The twenty-fifth amendment 19 was ratified by the several State legislatures on the following dates: Nebraska, July 12, 1965; Wisconsin, July 13, 1965; Oklahoma, July 16, 1965; Massachusetts, August 9, 1965; Pennsylvania, August 18, 1965; Kentucky, September 15, 1965; Arizona, September 22, 1965; Michigan, October 5, 1965; Indiana, October 20, 1965; California, October 21, 1965; Arkansas, November 4, 1965; New Jersey, November 29, 1965; Delaware, December 7, 1965; Utah, January 17, 1966; West Virginia, January 20, 1966; Maine, January 24, 1966; Rhode Island, January 28, 1966; Colorado, February 3, 1966; New Mexico, February 3, 1966; Kansas, February 8, 1966; Vermont, February 10, 1966; Alaska, February 18, 1966; Idaho, March 2, 1966; Hawaii, March 3, 1966; Virginia, March 8, 1966; Mississippi, March 10, 1966; New York, March 14, 1966; Maryland, March 23, 1966; Missouri, March 30, 1966; New Hampshire, June 13, 1966; Louisiana, July 5, 1966; Tennessee, January 12, 1967; Wyoming, January 25, 1967; Washington, January 26, 1967; Iowa, January 26, 1967; Oregon, February 2, 1967; Minnesota, February 10, 1967; Nevada, February 10, 1967; Connecticut, February 14, 1967; Montana, February 15, 1967; South Dakota, March 6, 1967; Ohio, March 7, 1967; Alabama, March 14, 1967; North Carolina, March 22, 1967; Illinois, March 22, 1967; Texas, April 25, 1967; Florida, May 25, 1967. 19 The twenty-fifth amendment was proposed by Congress on July 6, 1965, when the Senate agreed to a conference report, to which the House had previously agreed on June 30, 1965. It appears officially in 79 Stat. 1327. Ratification was completed on February 10, 1967, when the legislature of the thirty-eighth State (Nevada) approved the amendment, there being then fifty States in the Union. On February 23, 1967, the Administrator of General Services, Lawson B. Knott, Jr., certified that this amendment had become a part of the Constitution (32 F. R. 3287). RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION The Constitution was adopted by a convention of the States September 17, 1787, and was subsequently ratified by the several States, in the following order, viz: Delaware, December 7, 1787, yeas, 30 (unanimous). South Carolina, May 23, 1788, yeas, 149; nays, 73. New York, July 26, 1788, yeas, 30; nays, 27. North Carolina, November 21, 1789, yeas, 184; nays, 77. [796] |