Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to protect the voting rights of the citizens of the United States.

Bill: 115-hjres-28
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-16]
Introduced: 2017-01-13
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Commemorative events and holidays

Congressional elections

Elections, voting, political campaign regulation

Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents

Voting rights
Latest action: action_date: 2017-01-31
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-01-13
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Constitutional Amendment</b></p> This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that: (1) requires the President and Vice President to be elected by the citizens of the United States, (2) prohibits infringing on the right to vote by imposing any undue burden of proof of identity or proof of citizenship, (3) prohibits any involvement in elections by foreign persons, (4) prohibits undue or anonymous influence in elections from any person, (5) requires voting districts to be geographically compact and composed of contiguous territory, (6) prohibits any citizen who has reached 18 years of age from being barred from participating in elections on account of failure to register to vote, and (7) designates election day as a national holiday.

tv_txt: IA 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. J. RES. 28 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 13, 2017 Mr. Engel 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 protect the voting rights of the citizens of the United States.

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:  — 1. The President and Vice President shall be elected by the citizens of the United States. 2. No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, nor any standard, practice, or procedure, shall be imposed or applied by Congress, or by any State or political subdivision, to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote. The right of the citizens of the United States to vote shall not be infringed on account of any undue burden of proof of identity or citizenship, nor by any standard, practice, or procedure implemented since the previous national election for Senator and Representative in Congress. 3. The right of the citizens of the United States to engage in free and fair political debate shall be free from acts or expenditures by foreign persons, and from undue or anonymous influence from any person. 4. Districts represented by members of Congress, or by members of any legislative body of any State or political subdivision, shall be geographically compact and composed of contiguous territory. No State or political subdivision shall deviate from this requirement except by reference to existing natural or political boundaries. 5. No citizen who has reached eighteen years of age shall be barred from participating in elections for President and Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, on account of failure to register to vote. 6. Elections for President and Vice President, and for Senator and Representative in Congress, shall be held on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November. This day shall be designated a national holiday. No entity shall interfere with, withhold regular compensation from, or otherwise penalize the exercise of the right of any of its agents, employees, contractors, or assigns so entitled to vote on this day. 7. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. 8. This article shall take effect two years after the date of its ratification. .