← Back to Bills
S.J.Res. 77Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to the fundamental right to vote.

Sponsored by Richard J. DurbinSen. Richard J. Durbin (D-IL)
Introduced May 7, 2024

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 4:27 PM UTC

S.J.Res. 77 proposes a new constitutional amendment that would guarantee every U.S. citizen of voting age the fundamental right to vote in any public election where they live. It limits any denial of that right to situations where the government can show a compelling interest and that the denial is the least restrictive way to achieve it. The amendment also removes the phrase “or other crime” from the Fourteenth Amendment’s Section 2 and gives Congress authority to enforce the new voting protections.

Key Provisions

  • Guarantees that every citizen of legal voting age has a fundamental right to vote in public elections in their residence jurisdiction.
  • Allows denial of the voting right only if the government demonstrates a compelling interest and that the denial is the least restrictive means to achieve it.
  • Repeals the phrase “or other crime” from Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment.
  • Empowers Congress to pass legislation to enforce and protect the fundamental right to vote.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S3505-3506)

Judiciary Committee

May 7, 2024

View full timeline
SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 7, 2024

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S3505-3506)

Judiciary Committee

May 7, 2024

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S.J.Res. 77 on the floor

1 Democrat
Richard J. Durbin
Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · May 7, 2024

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Record
Richard J. Durbin
Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · May 7, 2024

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Record

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode
Latest
Raw Text PDF XML
Introduced in SenateIssued May 7, 2024

IIA

118th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. J. RES. 77

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 7, 2024

Mr. Durbin (for himself, Ms. Warren, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to the fundamental right to vote.

That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States:

—
1.

Every citizen of the United States, who is of legal voting age, shall have the fundamental right to vote in any public election held in the jurisdiction in which the citizen resides.

2.

The fundamental right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State or political subdivision within a State unless such denial or abridgment is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.

3.

The portion of section 2 of the fourteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States that consists of the phrase or other crime, is repealed.

4.

The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article and protect against any denial or abridgement of the fundamental right to vote by legislation.

.