The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on June 15, 1804, and it outlines the procedure for electing the President and Vice President of the United States. Here are some key points about the Twelfth Amendment:
- The amendment requires electors to take a distinct vote for the President and Vice President, and one of the selected candidates must be someone who is not from the same state as the elector.
- If no presidential candidate has a majority vote, or if there is a tie, the House of Representatives chooses the President, and the Senate chooses the Vice President.
- The Twelfth Amendment modified the way the Electoral College chooses the President and Vice President.
- The amendment disqualifies electors from voting for both offices if they are from the same state as the President or Vice President.
- The Twelfth Amendment also specifies how the President and Vice President are to be selected should neither candidate obtain the votes of a majority of the electors: the House of Representatives selects the new President from among the top three candidates, and the Senate selects the new Vice President from among the top two candidates.
Overall, the Twelfth Amendment restructured the presidential election process and made a series of adjustments to the Electoral College system.
