IA 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. J. RES. 23 

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States providing 

that the Senate is made more representative by adding twelve Senators 

to be elected nationwide through ranked choice voting, and providing 

for twelve Electors at-large for President and Vice President, who shall 

cast their ballots for the respective winners of the national popular 

vote. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 31, 2023 

Mr. CASTEN (for himself and Mr. BLUMENAUER) 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 providing that the Senate is made more representative by adding twelve Senators to be elected nationwide 

through ranked choice voting, and providing for twelve 

Electors at-large for President and Vice President, who 

shall cast their ballots for the respective winners of the 

national popular vote. 

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled

3 (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the fol4 lowing article is proposed as an amendment to the ConVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:13 Apr 17, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HJ23.IH HJ23

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1 stitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all 

2 intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when 

3 ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several 

4 States: 

5 ‘‘ARTICLE— 

6 ‘‘SECTION 1. In addition to the Senators from each 

7 of the several States, the Senate of the United States shall 

8 be composed of twelve Senators at-large, who shall be 

9 elected by the People of the United States for six years, 

10 and each Senator at-large shall have one vote. Senators 

11 at-large shall meet the same age and citizenship require12 ments as the Senators from each of the several States. 

13 ‘‘SECTION 2. Senators at-large shall be elected using 

14 a nationwide system of ranked choice voting, under which 

15 each eligible elector may rank the candidates for office in 

16 the order of the elector’s preference. Each elector’s rank17 ing shall hold equal weight in the determination of winning 

18 candidates. Seats of the Senators at-large shall be divided 

19 equally among the three Classes of Senate seats, so that 

20 one-third may be chosen every second year. Except as pro21 vided in section four of this article, all candidates shall 

22 appear on a single ballot, with the number of winning can23 didates being equal to the number of seats of Senators 

24 at-large then up for election. The first election of Senators 

25 at-large shall occur no later than the second regularly 


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1 scheduled general election for Federal office following the 

2 date of the ratification of this article. 

3 ‘‘SECTION 3. An eligible elector shall include any 

4 United States citizen who is eighteen years of age or older; 

5 who has registered to vote by the deadline of the citizen’s 

6 State of residence; and who otherwise meets the eligibility 

7 requirements, as set by the citizen’s State of residence, 

8 for voting in a general election for Federal office. 

9 ‘‘SECTION 4. Within thirty days of the seat of a Sen10 ator at-large becoming vacant, the President shall fill the 

11 vacancy by appointing a Senator at-large of the same po12 litical party as the departing incumbent. If the seat is not 

13 up for election at the next regularly scheduled general 

14 election for Federal office, a special election shall be held 

15 to determine who shall serve the remainder of the term. 

16 Such special election shall coincide with the next regularly 

17 scheduled general election for Federal office, and can18 didates for the seat shall appear on a ballot separate from 

19 that of the other seats of Senators at-large then up for 

20 election. 

21 ‘‘SECTION 5. The election of Senators at-large shall 

22 be administered by each of the several States. Each State 

23 shall submit all ballots cast within its jurisdiction to such 

24 Federal entity as Congress shall by law provide, which 


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1 shall collect and count the ballots and announce the win2 ners. 

3 ‘‘SECTION 6. References in this article to the States 

4 and the electors thereof shall apply in the same manner 

5 to United States territories and the electors thereof and 

6 to the District constituting the seat of Government of the 

7 United States and the electors thereof. 

8 ‘‘SECTION 7. In addition to the Electors for President 

9 and Vice President appointed by each of the several 

10 States, there shall be twelve Electors at-large, who shall 

11 be appointed in such manner as Congress shall by law pro12 vide. Electors at-large shall hold the same powers and du13 ties of Electors for President and Vice President, except 

14 that Electors at-large shall meet in the District consti15 tuting the seat of Government of the United States, where 

16 they shall cast their ballots for the presidential and vice17 presidential candidates having received the greatest num18 ber of votes cast by citizens of the United States. Electors 

19 at-large shall be included in determining the whole number 

20 of Electors appointed for the purposes of the twelfth arti21 cle of amendment. 

22 ‘‘SECTION 8. Congress shall have power to enforce 

23 this article by appropriate legislation, including by pro24 viding for the procedures under which the nationwide sysVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:13 Apr 17, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HJ23.IH HJ23

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1 tem of ranked choice voting, required by section two, shall 

2 be conducted.’’. 

Æ 


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