S.J.Res. 218Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the electoral college and to provide for the direct election of the President and Vice President of the United States.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated October 2, 2026 at 5:24 AM UTC

S.J. Res. 218 proposes a constitutional amendment that would eliminate the Electoral College and replace it with a direct popular vote for President and Vice President. Under the amendment, voters would cast a single vote for a joint ticket of two candidates, and the ticket receiving the most votes nationwide would win. The change would affect all presidential elections and would take effect one year after ratification.

Key Provisions

Abolishes the Electoral College and requires the President and Vice President to be elected directly by the people of the states and the District of Columbia.
Each voter casts one vote for a paired ticket of a presidential and vice‑presidential candidate who have agreed to run together.
The ticket with the highest total number of votes nationwide is declared the winner.
Congress may pass laws to handle situations such as a candidate’s death, disqualification before the election is decided, or a tie.
The amendment would become effective one year after January 1 following its ratification by three‑quarters of the states.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

September 29, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

September 29, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

September 29, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued September 29, 2026

IIA

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. J. RES. 218

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 29, 2026

Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Welch) 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 to abolish the electoral college and to provide for the direct election of the President and Vice President of the United States.

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:

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The President and Vice President shall be elected by the people of the several States and the district constituting the seat of government of the United States.

Each voter shall cast a single vote for two persons who have consented to the joining of their names as candidates for President and Vice President.

The pair of candidates having the greatest number of votes for President and Vice President shall be elected.

The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death or any other disqualification of any candidate for President or Vice President before the day on which the President-elect or Vice President-elect has been chosen, and for the case of a tie in any election.

This article shall take effect one year after the first day of January following ratification.