District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment

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The District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. It was passed by Congress in 1978 but failed because it was not ratified by enough states.

The amendment would have repealed the Twenty-Third Amendment and would have granted the District of Columbia the full voting rights of a U.S. state. Specifically it would have given D.C. full representation in the United States Congress. The amendment placed a seven-year time limit on ratification. The proposal was voided in 1985 after reaching the specified seven-year time limit without receiving the ratification of at least 38 states.

In 1980, votes in the District of Columbia approved an initiative calling for a constitutional convention for a new state, to be called New Columbia. The constitution was adopted two years later. Provisions of the constitution are still upheld in the electing of local shadow United States Senator to lobby Congress on behalf of local interests.