Congressional Resolutions on the Electoral College

 (116th Congress)

H. J. RES. 7

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the electoral college and to provide for the direct election of the President and Vice President of the United States.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 3, 2019
Mr. Cohen (for himself, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Garamendi, and Ms. Brownley of California) submitted the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the electoral college and to provide for the direct election of the President and Vice President of the United States.

    Whereas the Founders of the Nation established the electoral college in an era of limited nationwide communication and information sharing;

      Whereas the electoral college is premised on an antiquated theory that citizens will have a better chance of knowing about electors from their home States than about Presidential candidates from out of State;

        Whereas the development of mass media and the Internet has made information about Presidential candidates easily accessible to United States citizens across the country and around the world;
        Whereas citizens now have a far better chance of knowing about out-of-State Presidential candidates than about Presidential electors from their home State;
        Whereas Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.”;
        Whereas since the Nation’s founding, United States citizens have amended the Constitution to expand the opportunity for citizens to directly elect their elected leaders;
        Whereas the 15th Amendment guarantees the right of all citizens to vote regardless of race;
        Whereas the 19th Amendment guarantees the right of all citizens to vote regardless of gender;
        Whereas the 26th Amendment guarantees the right of all citizens 18 years of age and older to vote regardless of age;
        Whereas the 17th Amendment establishes both a precedent and a preference for the direct election of citizens’ elected representatives; and

        Whereas the electoral college has become an anachronism: Now, therefore, be it

        Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification:
        Article   —
         Section 1. The President and Vice President shall be elected by the people of the several States and the district constituting the seat of government of the United States.
         Section 2. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most populous branch of the legislature of the State; although Congress may establish uniform age qualifications.
         Section 3. Each elector shall cast a single vote for two persons who have consented to the joining of their names as candidates for President and Vice President. No elector shall be prohibited from casting a vote for a candidate for President or Vice President because either candidate, or both, are inhabitants of the same State as the elector.
         Section 4. The pair of candidates having the greatest number of votes for President and Vice President shall be elected.
         Section 5. The times, places, and manner of holding such elections and entitlement to inclusion on the ballot shall be determined by Congress.
         Section 6. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death or any other disqualification of any candidate for President or Vice President before the day on which the President-elect or Vice President-elect has been chosen; and for the case of a tie in any election.
         Section 7. This article shall take effect one year after the first day of January following ratification.”.

S. J. RES. 17

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the electoral college and to provide for the direct election of the President and Vice President of the United States.


IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 2, 2019

Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Feinstein, and Mrs. Gillibrand) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary


JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the electoral college and to provide for the direct election of the President and Vice President of the United States.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification:

Article   —

 Section 1. The President and Vice President shall be elected by the people of the several States, the territories, and the district constituting the seat of government of the United States.

 Section 2. The electors in each State, territory, and the district constituting the seat of government of the United States shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most populous branch of the legislature of the State, territory, or the district, respectively.

 Section 3. Each elector shall cast a single vote for two persons who have consented to the joining of their names as candidates for President and Vice President.

 Section 4. The pair of candidates having the greatest number of votes for President and Vice President shall be elected.

 Section 5. The times, places, and manner of holding such elections and entitlement to inclusion on the ballot shall be determined by Congress.

 Section 6. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death or any other disqualification of any candidate for President or Vice President before the day on which the President-elect or Vice President-elect has been chosen; and for the case of a tie in any election.

 Section 7. This article shall take effect one year after the first day of January following ratification.”.


S. J. RES. 16

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the electoral college and to provide for the direct election of the President and Vice President of the United States.


IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 28, 2019

Mr. Merkley introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary


JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the electoral college and to provide for the direct election of the President and Vice President of the United States.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States:

Article   —

 Section 1. The President and Vice President shall be jointly elected by the direct popular vote of the people of the several States and the District constituting the seat of Government of the United States who are over the age of 18.

 Section 2. Congress shall determine the time, place, and manner of holding the election, and the manner in which the results of the election shall be ascertained and declared, and shall establish one day throughout the United States by which any period of voting shall be complete and during which any eligible voter may cast a vote.

 Section 3. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”.



H. RES. 350

Recognizing the value and importance of the Electoral College.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 2, 2019

Mr. Budd (for himself, Mr. Meadows, Mr. Banks, and Mr. Hice of Georgia) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration


RESOLUTION

Recognizing the value and importance of the Electoral College.

    Whereas the framers of the Constitution of the United States established the Electoral College in article II, section 1 of the Constitution, America’s founding document;

      Whereas the Electoral College serves as a formal body which elects the President and Vice President of the United States, and each State has a number of electors based on the State’s number of Representatives and Senators;

        Whereas the Electoral College is unique to our Federal republic and provides representation to an American population comprised of different cultures, religions, and economic backgrounds;

          Whereas the United States is not a homogeneous Nation, but historically a Nation of immigrants requiring a unique electoral structure like the ElectoralCollege; and

            Whereas the Electoral College encourages the smooth transition of power and maintains our American system of government that protects against the tyranny of the majority: Now, therefore, be it

            Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

            (1) recognizes that the Electoral College preserves the concept of federalism;

            (2) recognizes that the Electoral College is uniquely American; and

            (3) recognizes that the Electoral College is vital to the continued preservation of our government.