Representatives from each State folie

Representatives from each State (folie)

Congressional Elections Outline (folie)

Congress Senate and House of Representatives

Senate 100 Members, 2 of each State

term of 6 years, 1/3 every 2 years

House 435 Members, depending on State population

term of 2 years, one period

Resident Commissioners and Delegates

Who is allowed to vote?

How do you vote?

Congressional Elections Handout

The Congress of the United States was created by Article I, section 1, of the Constitution, adopted by the Constitutional Convention on September 17^th in 1787, providing that "All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate an House of Representatives."

The Senate is composed of 100 Members, 2 from each State, who are elected to serve for a term of 6 years. Senators were originally chosen by the State legislatures. This procedure was changed by the 17^th amendment to the Constitution, adopted in 1913, which made the election of Senators a function of the people. There are three classes of Senators, and a new class is elected every 2 years.

The House of Representatives comprises 435 Representatives. The number representing each State is determined by population, but every State is entitled to at least one Representative. Members are elected by the people for 2-year terms, all running for the same period.

Both the Senators and the Representatives must be residents of the State from which they are chosen. In addition, a Senator must be at least 30 years of age and must have been citizen of the United States for at least 9 years; a Representative must be at least 25 years of age and must have been citizen of the United States for at least 7 years.

A Resident Commissioner from Puerto  Rico (elected for a 4-year term) and Delegates from American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands complete the composition of the Congress of the United States. Delegates are elected for a term of 2 years. The Resident Commissioners and Delegates may take part in the floor discussion, but have no vote in the full House. The do vote in the committees to which they are assigned.