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Note: Article I, section 4, of the Constitution was modified by section 2 of this amendment. In addition, a portion of the 12th amendment was superseded by section 3.
Section 1.
The terms of the President and
the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the
terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January,
of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not
been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.
Section 2.
The Congress shall assemble
at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the
3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.
Section 3.
If, at the time fixed for the
beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have
died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall
not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term,
or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President
elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and
the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President
elect nor a Vice President shall have qualified, declaring who shall then
act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected,
and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President
shall have qualified.
Section 4.
The Congress may by law provide
for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of
Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall
have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons
from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of
choice shall have devolved upon them.
Section 5.
Sections 1 and 2 shall take
effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article.
Section 6.
This article shall be inoperative
unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution
by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven
years from the date of its submission.