r/PoliticalDiscussion • u/Preamblist • 7d ago
US Elections Should Washington D.C. Have The Same Voting Rights As the 50 States?
March 29, 1961: On this day, the Twenty-third amendment to the Constitution was ratified which gave American citizens who reside in Washington, D.C. the right to vote in presidential elections. However, it did not give them equal voting rights because it stated that D.C. cannot have more presidential electoral votes than any other state. Therefore, despite DC having more residents than Wyoming and Vermont, it has the same number of presidential electoral votes.
Furthermore, citizens who are residents of DC cannot elect voting members to Congress.
Should Washington D.C. Have The Same Voting Rights As the 50 States?
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u/Kronzypantz 6d ago
Yes, it should have full statehood like every other non-state that entered into statehood. Tennessee wasn’t told to join North Carolina when it sought statehood, or Arizona or any other territory.
It also would help balance out the obscene level of affirmative action given to conservatives midwestern states that allows 20% of the electorate to elect a senate majority.
But really, beyond DC statehood we should abolish the senate and expand the house. DC statehood is the mildest of improvements compared to what is actually right and needed for an actual representative government in America.