What was 12th amendment

To avoid problems with the inhabitant clause, Cheney registered to vote in Wyoming, where he previously lived. 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 the top three candidates.

This is a slight variation from the original provision, which allowed the choice from among the top five candidates. However, the vote within the House is by state, not by representative. This gives equal weight to all states— the smaller, less populated states as well as the larger, more populated ones— and makes it more likely that the ultimate winner may not be the candidate who obtains the majority of the popular vote.

Lastly, this amendment extends the eligibility requirements to become president the candidate must be a natural born citizen, must be at least thirty-five years old, and must have been a resident of the United States for fourteen years to the vice president since no person who is constitutionally ineligible to be president can be vice president. Home 12th Amendment. Ratified June 15, A portion of the 12th Amendment was changed by the 20th Amendment.

But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President.

Jefferson was peacefully inaugurated on March 4, and the all-important precedent was set for peaceful transfer of power. Yet the original electoral college system was exposed as problematic, and there was widespread agreement that something had to be done. Continue reading from Constitution Center. It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results. Twelfth Amendment: About. Learn More. Why is the Twelfth Amendment Important?