👥 Amendment XVII

Author:    House of Representatives <[email protected]>
Date:      Apr 8, 1913

Having been passed by Congress, the amendment was sent to the states for
ratification and was ratified by:

* Massachusetts – May 22, 1912
* Arizona – June 3, 1912
* Minnesota – June 10, 1912
* New York – January 15, 1913
* Kansas – January 17, 1913
* Oregon – January 23, 1913
* North Carolina – January 25, 1913
* California – January 28, 1913
* Michigan – January 28, 1913
* Iowa – January 30, 1913
* Montana – January 30, 1913
* Idaho – January 31, 1913
* West Virginia – February 4, 1913
* Colorado – February 5, 1913
* Nevada – February 6, 1913
* Texas – February 7, 1913
* Washington – February 7, 1913
* Wyoming – February 8, 1913
* Arkansas – February 11, 1913
* Maine – February 11, 1913
* Illinois – February 13, 1913
* North Dakota – February 14, 1913
* Wisconsin – February 18, 1913
* Indiana – February 19, 1913
* New Hampshire – February 19, 1913
* Vermont – February 19, 1913
* South Dakota – February 19, 1913
* Oklahoma – February 24, 1913
* Ohio – February 25, 1913
* Missouri – March 7, 1913
* New Mexico – March 13, 1913
* Nebraska – March 14, 1913
* New Jersey – March 17, 1913
* Tennessee – April 1, 1913
* Pennsylvania – April 2, 1913
* Connecticut – April 8, 1913

With 36 states having ratified the Seventeenth Amendment, it was
certified by Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan on May 31, 1913,
as part of the Constitution. The amendment has subsequently been
ratified by:

* Louisiana – June 11, 1914
* Alabama – April 11, 2002
* Delaware – July 1, 2010 (After rejecting the amendment on March 18, 1913)
* Maryland – April 1, 2012
* Rhode Island – June 20, 2014

The Utah legislature rejected the amendment on February 26, 1913. No
action on the amendment has been completed by: Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Virginia, Alaska or Hawaii.
Alaska and Hawaii were not yet states at the time of the amendment's
proposal, and have never taken any official action to support or oppose
the amendment since achieving statehood.

-- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Ratification_by_the_states

Constitution.md

@@ -65,18 +65,21 @@ shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.
 
 
 **Section. 3.**  The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two
-Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and
-each Senator shall have one Vote.
+Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and
+each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the
+qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State
+legislatures.
 
 Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election,
 they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the
 Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second
 Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the
 third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be
-chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise,
-during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may
-make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which
-shall then fill such Vacancies.
+chosen every second Year; and when vacancies happen in the representation of
+any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue
+writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any
+State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until
+the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
 
 No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty
 Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not,

amendments/00017.md

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America
+
+## Amendment XVII.
+
+The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each
+State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall
+have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications
+requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.
+
+When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the
+executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such
+vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the
+executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the
+vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
+
+This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of
+any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.