IA 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. J. RES. 19 

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 5, 2017 

Mr. COHEN (for himself and Mr. COOPER) 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 acVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:07 Jan 06, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HJ19.IH HJ19

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cessible 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 


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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 Con5 stitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all 

6 intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when 

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

8 States: 

9 ‘‘ARTICLE— 

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

11 be elected by the people of the several States and the dis12 trict constituting the seat of government of the United 

13 States. 

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

15 the qualifications requisite for electors of the most popu16 lous branch of the legislature of the State; although Con17 gress may establish uniform age qualifications. 

18 ‘‘SECTION 3. Each elector shall cast a single vote for 

19 two persons who have consented to the joining of their 

20 names as candidates for President and Vice President. No 

21 elector shall be prohibited from casting a vote for a can22 didate for President or Vice President because either can23 didate, or both, are inhabitants of the same State as the 

24 elector. 


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1 ‘‘SECTION 4. The pair of candidates having the great2 est number of votes for President and Vice President shall 

3 be elected. 

4 ‘‘SECTION 5. The times, places, and manner of hold5 ing such elections and entitlement to inclusion on the bal6 lot shall be determined by Congress. 

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

8 the case of the death or any other disqualification of any 

9 candidate for President or Vice President before the day 

10 on which the President-elect or Vice President-elect has 

11 been chosen; and for the case of a tie in any election. 

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

13 after the first day of January following ratification.’’. 

Æ 


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