{"id":30971,"date":"2022-07-29T12:58:01","date_gmt":"2022-07-29T17:58:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-legal\/constitution\/amendment17.html"},"modified":"2022-07-29T12:58:01","modified_gmt":"2022-07-29T17:58:01","slug":"amendment17","status":"publish","type":"constitution","link":"https:\/\/constitution.findlaw.com\/amendment17.html","title":{"rendered":"Seventeenth Amendment – Election of U.S. Senators"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Seventeenth Amendment – Election of U.S. Senators<\/h1>\n
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\n By FindLaw Staff<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Laura Temme, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last reviewed\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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Passed on May 13, 1912, the Seventeenth Amendment was the only constitutional amendment to substantially change the structure of Congress. Before, state legislators chose U.S. Senators for their state. But the Seventeenth Amendment gave the power to fill U.S. Senate seats directly to the voters.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n

The Seventeenth Amendment states:
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"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.<\/i><\/p>\r\n

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.<\/i><\/p>\r\n

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."<\/i><\/p>\r\n

What It Means<\/h2>\r\n

United States Library of Congress, The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation<\/i><\/b><\/p>\r\n

The ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment was the outcome of increasing dissatisfaction with the originally established method of electing Senators. As more people became eligible to vote, the belief became widespread that Senators ought to be popularly elected in the same manner as Representatives. Acceptance of this idea was fostered by the mounting accumulation of evidence of the practical disadvantages and malpractices attendant upon legislative selection, such as:<\/p>\r\n