Monday, March 31, 2008

Background information on D.C. voting rights

Side note: I apologize because I forgot to do this before it was actually due.

Summary of the project

Before I post any research, I'd like to establish the subject of my project: youth voting in the Washington, D.C. area.  To be more specific, I'm going to look at how students and young professionals moving to D.C. feel about changing their registration from that of their home state to the district.  Do many people do this?  Do they feel disenfranchised because D.C. residents don't have a vote in Congress?  Do most people even care?  And how do organizations like DC Vote deal with this issue?

Background on D.C. voting rights

  • In 1801, the Organic Act was passed, establishing the District of Columbia.  It also prevented residents of the District from voting for president, vice president or any member of Congress.
  • Basically, D.C. does not have full voting rights because it is a district and not a state, and the Constitution says that only states may vote in Congress.
  • In 1961, the 23rd Amendment gave residents of the District the right to vote for president and vice president.
  • Currently, D.C. residents have the power to elect a non-voting representative to the House of Representatives.  This representative can vote in committee and engage in debate, but has no vote for actual passage of a bill in the House.
  • D.C. has no representation at all in the Senate.

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