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

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 186 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. J. RES. 186

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 27, 2026

 Mr. Durbin (for himself, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. 
 Warren, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Markey, 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 
               relative to the fundamental right to vote.

    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled   (two-thirds of each House 
concurring therein), 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:

                              ``Article--

    ``Section 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.
    ``Section 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.
    ``Section 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phrase `or other crime,' is repealed.
    ``Section 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.''.
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