12th
Amendment
Full Text
The Electors shall meet in their
respective states, and vote by ballot for President and
Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of
the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the
person voted for as President and in distinct ballots the person
voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of
all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as
Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists
they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the
government of the United States, directed to the President of the
Senate;
The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the
Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and
the votes shall then be counted;
The person having the greatest
number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such
number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and
if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the
highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for
as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately,
by ballot, the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the
representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this
purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the
states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a
choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a
President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them,
before the fourth day of March next following, then the
Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of the death
or other constitutional disability of the President.
The person
having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the
Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of
Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the
two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the
Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds
of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number
shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally
ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of
Vice-President of the United States.
23rd Amendment Past
Attempts at Reform Electoral
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