AMENDMENT XII
Passed by Congress December
9, 1803. Ratified June 15, 1804.
Note:
A portion of Article II, section 1 of the Constitution was superseded
by the 12th amendment.
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. But in choosing 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 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.
*Superseded by
section 3 of the 20th amendment.
AMENDMENT
XIII
Passed by Congress January
31, 1865. Ratified December 6, 1865.
Note:
A portion of Article IV, section 2, of the Constitution was
superseded by the 13th amendment.
Section 1.
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment
for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted,
shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to
their jurisdiction.
Section 2.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
AMENDMENT XIV
Passed by Congress
June 13, 1866. Ratified July 9, 1868.
Note:
Article I, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by section
2 of the 14th amendment.
Section 1.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject
to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States
and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or
enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities
of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive
any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process
of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal
protection of the laws.
Section
2.
Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States
according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number
of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when
the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors
for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives
in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State,
or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any
of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years
of age,* and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged,
except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis
of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion
which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole
number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

Section 3.
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress,
or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office,
civil or military, under the United States, or under any State,
who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress,
or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any
State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of
any State, to support the Constitution of the United States,
shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the
same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress
may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Section
4.
The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized
by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and
bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion,
shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any
State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in
aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States,
or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but
all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal
and void.
Section
5.
The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate
legislation, the provisions of this article.
*Changed by section
1 of the 26th amendment.
AMENDMENT XV
Passed by Congress
February 26, 1869. Ratified February 3, 1870.
Section
1.
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not
be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on
account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude--
Section
2.
The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation.
AMENDMENT
XVI
Passed
by Congress July 2, 1909. Ratified February 3, 1913.
Note:
Article I, section 9, of the Constitution was modified by amendment
16.
The Congress shall have
power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source
derived, without apportionment among the several States, and
without regard to any census or enumeration.
AMENDMENT
XVII
Passed by Congress May
13, 1912. Ratified April 8, 1913.
Note:
Article I, section 3, of the Constitution was modified by the
17th amendment.
The Senate of the United
States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected
by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall
have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications
requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State
legislatures.
When vacancies
happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the
executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election
to fill such vacancies: Provided,
That the legislature of any State may empower the executive
thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill
the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
This amendment shall
not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any
Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.
AMENDMENT XVIII
Passed by Congress
December 18, 1917. Ratified January 16, 1919. Repealed by amendment
21.
Section
1.
After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture,
sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the
importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the
United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction
thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.
Section
2.
The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power
to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Section
3.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been
ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures
of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within
seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States
by the Congress.
AMENDMENT
XIX
Passed by Congress June 4, 1919. Ratified August 18,
1920.
The right of citizens
of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged
by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Congress shall have power
to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
AMENDMENT
XX
Passed by Congress March 2, 1932. Ratified January 23,
1933.
Note:
Article I, section 4, of the Constitution was modified by section
2 of this amendment. In addition, a portion of the 12th amendment
was superseded by section 3.
Section
1.
The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end
at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators
and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the
years in which such terms would have ended if this article had
not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then
begin.
Section
2.
The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and
such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless
they shall by law appoint a different day.
Section
3.
If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President,
the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect
shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen
before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the
President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice
President elect shall act as President until a President shall
have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the
case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President
shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President,
or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected,
and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice
President shall have qualified.
Section
4.
The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of
any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may
choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved
upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons
from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the
right of choice shall have devolved upon them.
Section
5.
Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October
following the ratification of this article.
Section
6.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been
ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures
of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from
the date of its submission.
AMENDMENT
XXI
Passed by Congress
February 20, 1933. Ratified December 5, 1933.
Section
1.
The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the
United States is hereby repealed.
Section
2.
The transportation or importation into any State, Territory,
or Possession of the United States for delivery or use therein
of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is
hereby prohibited.
Section
3.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been
ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions
in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within
seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States
by the Congress.
AMENDMENT
XXII
Passed by Congress
March 21, 1947. Ratified February 27, 1951.
Section
1.
No person shall be elected to the office of the President more
than twice, and no person who has held the office of President,
or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to
which some other person was elected President shall be elected
to the office of President more than once. But this Article
shall not apply to any person holding the office of President
when this Article was proposed by Congress, and shall not prevent
any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting
as President, during the term within which this Article becomes
operative from holding the office of President or acting as
President during the remainder of such term.
Section
2.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been
ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures
of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from
the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.
AMENDMENT
XXIII
Passed by Congress
June 16, 1960. Ratified March 29, 1961.
Section
1.
The District constituting the seat of Government of the United
States shall appoint in such manner as Congress may direct:
A number of electors
of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of
Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District
would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than
the least populous State; they shall be in addition to those
appointed by the States, but they shall be considered, for the
purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to
be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the
District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth
article of amendment.
Section
2.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
AMENDMENT
XXIV
Passed by Congress
August 27, 1962. Ratified January 23, 1964.
Section
1.
The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary
or other election for President or Vice President, for electors
for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative
in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States
or any State by reason of failure to pay poll tax or other tax.
Section
2.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
AMENDMENT
XXV
Passed by Congress
July 6, 1965. Ratified February 10, 1967.
Note:
Article II, section 1, of the Constitution was affected by the
25th amendment.
Section
1.
In case of the removal of the President from office or of his
death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.
Section
2.
Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President,
the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take
office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of
Congress.
Section
3.
Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore
of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers
and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written
declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be
discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.
Section
4.
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal
officers of the executive departments or of such other body
as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro
tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge
the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall
immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting
President.
Thereafter, when the
President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written
declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers
and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority
of either the principal officers of the executive department
or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit
within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written
declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers
and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the
issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose
if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after
receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is
not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required
to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that
the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of
his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the
same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume
the powers and duties of his office.
AMENDMENT
XXVI
Passed by Congress
March 23, 1971. Ratified July 1, 1971.
Note:
Amendment 14, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by
section 1 of the 26th amendment.
Section
1.
The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen
years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged
by the United States or by any State on account of age.
Section
2.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
AMENDMENT
XXVII
Originally proposed
Sept. 25, 1789.
Ratified May 7, 1992.
No law,
varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and
Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of representatives
shall have intervened.

US Constitution a living document?
Beware
of those who claim that the Constitution is a living instrument,
Because they are seeking justification for its violation.
They claim that it evolves or changes as the peoples' wants
or needs change. They will call it outmoded, old-fashioned,
antiquated, archaic, etc., trying to convince you that the Founders
could not have foreseen the peoples' needs so long ago. These
people will support Constitutional changes resulting from Amendments,
Supreme Court decisions, Presidential Proclamations or Voter
Referendums. http://www.garymcleod.org/con-quot.htm