High Bar For Change
Major structural reforms to American government, including any direct abolition of the Electoral College, cannot be accomplished by ordinary legislation and require broad national consensus.
In plain English
When the nation rewrites its rulebook.
Changing the rules written into the Constitution is intentionally difficult and requires overwhelming agreement from both Congress and the states.
Simple example
The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the national voting age from 21 to 18 after passing Congress and being ratified by the required number of states in just over three months.
Why it matters
What the term actually changes.
Protects Stability
The difficulty of amending the Constitution shields foundational rules from shifting political majorities but can also make widely supported reforms hard to enact.
How it works
The mechanics, in practice.
Proposal Stage
An amendment can be proposed by a two-thirds vote of both the U.S. House and Senate, or by a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures.
Ratification Stage
A proposed amendment becomes part of the Constitution only after being ratified by three-fourths of the states, currently 38 of 50, through either state legislatures or state conventions.
Alternative Workarounds
Some reforms pursue similar goals without an amendment, such as the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, in which states agree to award their electors to the national popular vote winner.
Related guide
Should the Electoral College be abolished?
A look at how the U.S. chooses its president, and the debate over whether to change the system.
Read the guide → Related issue brief
Should the Electoral College Be Abolished?
Americans remain divided over whether to keep the constitutional system that has chosen presidents since 1789.
Read the brief →You’ve learned the term. Now vote.
Should the Electoral College be abolished?
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