Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution

The Constitution provides that each state receives presidential electors equal to the combined number of seats it has in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

As early as 1888, some journalists and members of Congress favored a constitutional amendment to grant the district electoral votes.

Since the passage of the Twenty-third Amendment, all but one of the district's electoral votes have been cast for the Democratic Party's presidential candidates.

The main reference to the federal district is in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, which gives Congress the power "To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States.

"[3] In the early existence of the District, it was too small and rural to merit a hypothetical seat in the House of Representatives anyway, with fewer than 30,000 inhabitants.

[4] In 1888, a bill to amend the Constitution was introduced in Congress by Senator Henry Blair of New Hampshire to grant the District of Columbia voting rights in presidential elections, but it did not proceed.

[5][6] Theodore W. Noyes, a writer of the Washington Evening Star, published several stories in support of D.C. voting rights.

Noyes also helped found the Citizens' Joint Committee on National Representation for the District of Columbia, a group which lobbied Congress to pass an amendment expanding D.C. voting rights.

The Washington Post, however, supported "home rule" and civil rights but opposed full-fledged representation for the district.

One added provision, proposed by New York Republican Kenneth Keating, would grant the District of Columbia electoral votes in national elections and non-voting delegate(s) to the House.

The other, offered by Florida Democrat Spessard Holland, would eliminate the poll tax or other property qualification as a prerequisite for voting in federal elections.

Amendment supporters ran an effective ratification campaign, mobilizing persons in almost every state to press for its approval.

[15] These officials were empowered to pass laws and enact administrative policies for the district, though Congress retained veto power if they chose to intervene.

[19] The amendment failed to become part of the Constitution, however, as it was not ratified by the required number of states (38) prior to its August 22, 1985 ratification deadline.