The United States Constitution may be amended by the following processes:
1. Proposal by Congress:
- Congress can propose amendments to the Constitution with a two-thirds (2/3) vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
- After the proposal, the amendment must be ratified by three-fourths (3/4) of the state legislatures. This ratification process ensures that the proposed amendment has broad support across the country.
2. Direct vote by the people with ratification by state legislatures:
- In some cases, amendments can also be proposed through a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds (2/3) of state legislatures.
- If the convention proposes an amendment, it still needs to be ratified by three-fourths (3/4) of the state legislatures to become part of the Constitution.
These two processes illustrate the ways in which the Constitution can be amended, emphasizing the importance of broad support and consensus among both the elected representatives and the states in the Union.
