Article 2

Article 2

Section. 1. The executive Power shall be vested in a President.

He shall hold his Office for 4 Years, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows.

Each State shall appoint a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress.

But no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for 2 Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves.

They shall make a List of:

• all the Persons voted for
• the Number of Votes for each

They shall:

• sign and certify this List
• transmit it, sealed, to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the Senate President.

The Senate President shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted.

The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed.

If there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately choose by Ballot one of them for President.

If no Person has a Majority, then from the 5 highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner choose the President.

But in choosing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having 1 Vote.

A quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from 2/3 of the States. A Majority of all the States shall be necessary for a Choice.

In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President.

But if 2 or more have equal Votes, the Senate shall choose from them by Ballot the Vice President.

The Congress may determine the:

• Time of choosing the Electors
• the Day on which they shall give their Votes
  • This Day shall be the same throughout the United States.

Eligibility and Compensation

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of 35 Years, and been 14 Years a Resident within the United States.

In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President.

The Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President. It will declare what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President be elected.

The President shall receive Compensation for his Services. This shall neither be encreased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected.

He shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:—“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Section. 2

The President shall be Commander in Chief of:

• the Army and Navy of the United States
• the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States;

He may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices.

He shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided 2/3 of the Senators present concur.

He shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law.

But the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

Section. 3

He shall, from time to time:

• give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union
• recommend Measures he thinks necessary and expedient

He may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them.

With Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper.

He shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers;

He shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

Section. 4

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.