The executive power will be vested in the President of the United States of America. The President will hold office for a four-year term. The Vice President will also hold office for the same term. The President and Vice President will be elected as follows:
Each state will appoint a number of people to the Electoral College that is equal to the number of Senators and Representatives given to that state. However, no one that is in Congress or that holds any other office in the U.S. government can be made a member of the Electoral College.
The members of the Electoral College will meet in their own states and vote for two people each. At least one of the people they vote for must not live in the same state as a member that is voting. The members of the Electoral College will make a list of all people that have received votes along with the number of votes each person has received. The members will sign and certify the list, and then provide it to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate will count the votes in the presence of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives. The person that receives the most votes for President will be the President of the United States, if that person receives a majority of the votes.
Each state must honor the judgments of other states, but Congress has the power to determine how the states honor each other's judgments.
One state cannot discriminate against citizens of another state.
When a person is charged with a crime in one state and flees to another state, the person will be returned to the state where the crime occurred at the request of the state's Governor.
If a slave escapes to another state, the slave must be returned to the owner.
Congress may admit new states to the union, but no new state can be formed from an existing state without the consent of the legislatures of those states and Congress. Also, no state can be formed by a unification or two or more states, or parts of those states, without the consent of the legislatures of those states and Congress.
The United States will be a republican form of government. The United States will also protect each state against invasion and violence.
Amendments to this Constitution can be made two ways. Congress may propose amendments by a two-thirds vote of each house, or the states can propose amendments by calling a constitutional convention by a two-thirds vote. Proposed amendments then have to be ratified by a vote of three-fourths of the state legislatures or state ratification conventions. However, no amendments can be made that deny equal representation of a state in the Senate.
All debts and obligations existing under the Articles of Confederation will be applied against the United States under the Constitution.
This Constitution, the laws of the United States, and its treaties will be the supreme law of the land, and binding on judges in every state.
All legislative, executive, and judicial officers for the federal government and state governments must take an oath to support this Constitution. Those officers cannot be required to practice or accept any particular religion to hold office.
The approval of nine states will be sufficient to establish and ratify this Constitution.
Congress will make no law that establishes any religion. Congress will make no law that prohibits people from participating in a religion. Congress will make no law restricting freedom of speech or restricting freedom of the press. Congress will make no law restricting the right to peacefully protest. Congress will make no law restricting the right to ask the government to correct things that it does wrong.
The right of the people to keep and carry weapons, such as guns, will not be restricted.
No soldiers will be stationed in any house in time of peace without the consent of the owner of the house. No soldiers will be stationed in any house in time of war except as set forth by Congress.
There will be no unreasonable searches and seizures. Warrants will be issued only based on probable cause and the warrants must describe the place to be searched or the persons or property to be seized.
No person will be prosecuted for a crime unless authorized by a grand jury. No person will be tried twice for the same crime. No person will be forced to be a witness against himself or herself. No person will be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. No person will have their property taken by the government without receiving a fair payment for their property.
In all criminal cases, the accused person has the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury in the state and district where the crime was committed. The accused person has the right to be told about the charges against them. The accused person has the right to confront all witnesses against them and has the right to compel witnesses to testify. The accused person has the right to a lawyer for their defense.
In civil lawsuits, there is a right to trial by jury.
People that are at least eighteen years old have the right to vote.
(Note: The 14th Amendment previously stated that people that are at least twenty one years old have the right to vote.)
No law can be passed that increases the pay of members of Congress unless the law takes effect for the Congress after the one that passed it.