How

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How the Constitution Can Be Amended

Amending the Constitution is a two step process.

First an amendment must be officially proposed. An amendment is officially proposed by either a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress or a special convention called by Congress at the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures.

In order to be added to the Constitution, the proposed amendment must then be ratified. Proposed Amendments can be ratified either by the approval of three-quarters of the state legislatures or by approval of special conventions on ratification in three-quarters of the states. Congress decides which method will be used for ratification.

An Amendment must be Proposed: And Ratified:

By a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress
(Always used)

By the legislatures of three-quarters of the states
(Used twenty-six times)

or or

By a convention called by Congress at the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures
(Never used)

By conventions called for the purpose in three-quarters of the states
(Used only once - for the Twenty-first Amendment)