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104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. J. RES. 86

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States providing

for direct popular elections of the President and the Vice President,

establishing a day for elections for the offices of the President, the

Vice President, Senator, and Representative, and providing for primaries

to nominate candidates for the offices 1 month before the elections.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 2, 1995

Mr. JACOBS introduced 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 for direct popular elections of the President and the Vice President, establishing a day for elections for the offices of the President, the Vice President,

Senator, and Representative, and providing for primaries

to nominate candidates for the offices 1 month before

the elections.

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 fol-
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1 lowing article is proposed as an amendment to the Con2 stitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all

3 intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when

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

5 States within 7 years from the date of its submission by

6 the Congress:

7 ‘‘ARTICLE—

8 ‘‘SECTION 1. The Congress shall by law provide for

9 national primaries in which the people of the several

10 States and the District constituting the seat of Govern11 ment of the United States nominate candidates for Presi12 dent and Vice President. The national primaries shall be

13 held on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in Septem14 ber of the years preceding the years in which the terms

15 of the President and the Vice President begin.

16 ‘‘SECTION 2. The Congress shall by law provide for

17 national elections of the President and the Vice President

18 by the people of the several States and the District con19 stituting the seat of Government of the United States. The

20 elections shall be held on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st

21 Monday in October of the years in which the national pri22 maries are held pursuant to section 1. Each candidate

23 whose name appears on the ballot in an election of the

24 President and the Vice President shall have been nomi25 nated in a primary held pursuant to this article.
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1 ‘‘SECTION 3. The Congress shall by law provide for

2 primaries in which the electors in a State who have the

3 qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous

4 branch of the State legislature nominate candidates for

5 Senator to represent the State in the Congress. The pri6 maries shall be held on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Mon7 day in September of the years preceding the years in

8 which a term for which a Senator was elected to represent

9 the State in the Congress expires. The elections for the

10 seat to be vacated at the expiration of the term shall be

11 held on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in October

12 of the years in which the primaries are held. Each can13 didate whose name appears on the ballot in an election

14 of a Senator shall have been nominated in a primary held

15 pursuant to this article.

16 ‘‘SECTION 4. The Congress shall by law provide for

17 primaries in which the electors in a congressional district

18 of a State who have the qualifications requisite for electors

19 of the most numerous branch of the State legislature

20 nominate candidates for Representative to represent the

21 district in the Congress. The Congress shall by law provide

22 for primaries in which the electors in a State who have

23 the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numer24 ous branch of the State legislature and whose Representa25 tives are elected at large nominate candidates for Rep-
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1 resentative to represent the State in the Congress. The

2 primaries shall be held on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st

3 Monday in September of the years preceding the years in

4 which the terms of Representatives begin. The elections

5 for Representatives shall be held on the 1st Tuesday after

6 the 1st Monday in October of the years in which the pri7 maries are held. Each candidate whose name appears on

8 the ballot in an election of a Representative shall have

9 been nominated in a primary held pursuant to this article.

10 ‘‘SECTION 5. This article shall not apply to a special

11 election held to fill a vacancy in the representation of a

12 State in the Congress.

13 ‘‘SECTION 6. This article shall apply to the selection

14 of a President and Vice President whose terms begin on

15 the 20th day of January of a year that occurs more than

16 3 years after the year in which this article becomes valid

17 as part of the Constitution.

18 ‘‘SECTION 7. This article shall apply to the selection

19 of a Senator or Representative whose term begins on the

20 3d day of January of a year that occurs more than 1 year

21 after the year in which this article becomes valid as part

22 of the Constitution.’’.

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