IA

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. J. RES. 65

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution to provide for the direct popular

election of the President and Vice President of the United States.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 6, 1993

Mr. WHEAT introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to

the Committee on the Judiciary

JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution to provide for

the direct popular election of the President and Vice

President of the United States.

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

4 following article is proposed as an amendment to the Con5 stitution of the United States to be valid only if ratified

6 by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States
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1 within seven years of the date of its submission by the

2 Congress:

3 ‘‘ARTICLE—

4 ‘‘SECTION 1. The President and Vice President shall

5 be elected by the people of the several States and the dis6 trict constituting the seat of government of the United

7 States.

8 ‘‘SECTION 2. The electors in each State shall have

9 the qualifications requisite for electors of Senators and

10 Representatives in Congress from that State, except that

11 the legislature of any State may prescribe lesser qualifica12 tions with respect to residence and Congress may establish

13 uniform residence and age qualifications.

14 ‘‘SECTION 3. The persons having the greatest number

15 of votes for President and Vice President shall be elected,

16 if such number be at least a majority of the whole number

17 of votes cast for such offices. If no persons have such num18 ber, a runoff election shall be held in which the choice

19 of President and Vice President shall be made from the

20 persons who received the two highest numbers of votes for

21 each office.

22 ‘‘SECTION 4. The days for such elections shall be de23 termined by Congress. The times, places, and manner of

24 holding such election and entitlement to inclusion on the

25 ballot shall be prescribed in each State by the legislature
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1 thereof; but the Congress may at any time by law make

2 or alter such regulations. The Congress shall prescribe by

3 law the time, place, and manner in which the results of

4 such elections shall be ascertained and declared. Any run5 off election under the second sentence of section 3 shall

6 be held within thirty calendar days after the results of the

7 election involved have been so ascertained and declared.

8 ‘‘SECTION 5. Each elector shall cast a single vote

9 jointly applicable to President and Vice President. Names

10 of candidates shall not be joined unless they shall have

11 consented thereto and no candidate shall consent to his

12 or her name being joined with that of more than one other

13 person.

14 ‘‘SECTION 6. The Congress may by law provide for

15 the case of the death of any candidate for President or

16 Vice President before the day on which the President-elect

17 or a Vice President-elect has been chosen; and for the case

18 of a tie in any election.

19 ‘‘SECTION 7. This article shall take effect one year

20 after the twenty-first day of January following ratifica21 tion.’’.

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