The Constitution
Twenty-Third Amendment
The 1961 amendment giving the District of Columbia electoral votes in presidential elections, capped at the number of the least populous state.
In full
Before it, residents of the capital could not vote for President at all. The amendment gave the District three electoral votes but no voting representation in Congress, which is the gap the statehood debate addresses. The District's population exceeds that of some states.
Where to go next
Keep going
Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.