The Constitution
Elections Clause
State legislatures set the times, places, and manner of congressional elections, but Congress may override those rules by law at any time.
In full
The clause is the constitutional basis for federal election statutes, from setting a uniform election day to the Voting Rights Act's procedural provisions. Moore v. Harper (2023) rejected the strong form of the independent state legislature theory, holding that state courts may review legislatures' election rules under their own state constitutions.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.