The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, allowing residents of Washington, D.C., to vote in presidential elections.

The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961, granted residents of Washington, D.C. the right to participate in presidential elections by allowing them to appoint electors to the Electoral College. Before this amendment, citizens living in the District of Columbia—despite paying federal taxes and serving in the military—had no representation in the presidential vote, which was a significant democratic gap. The amendment provides D.C. with a number of electors equal to that of the least populous state, though never more than that, which currently means three electors. While it gave D.C. a voice in presidential elections, it did not grant full congressional representation, which remains a contentious issue. This amendment was part of the broader civil rights momentum of the 1960s, aiming to rectify long-standing inequalities in political representation.