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Citizens
of the District of Columbia gained the right to vote in
presidential elections with the passage of the 23rd Amendment
to the Constitution in 1961 making the 1964 presidential
election the first time that DC residents voted for President
of the United States. Before that (since 1936), DC residents
voted only for party officials and delegates to the Democratic
and Republican national conventions.
Board
of Education
In 1968,
residents were granted the right to vote for an elected
Board of Education. Under the law creating the school
board, one member would be elected from each of the eight
wards, and three would be elected at-large. All 11 members
serve four-year terms.
Delegate
to the House of Representatives
In 1970,
the "District of Columbia Election Act" was amended by
Congress to allow DC residents to elect a Delegate to
the House of Representatives. The first primary for this
office was held in January 1971, with the general election
held in March. The District's Delegate to the House does
not have a vote on the House floor, but may vote in Committee.
Mayor
and District Council
The Home
Rule Charter was approved in late 1973, allowing DC residents
to elect a Mayor and 13member District Council. Under
the Charter, one councilmember is elected from each of
the eight wards, while the Chairman and four remaining
members are elected at-large. Both the Mayor and the members
of the DC Council hold four year terms. The first Home
Rule elections were held in 1974.
Advisory
Neighborhood Commissions
The first
Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) elections were
held in February 1976 Under the law, each ANC Single Member
District (SMD) is comprised of approximately 2,000 residents.
Commissioners serve two-year terms and receive no salary.
There are 299 Single Member Districts in the District
of Columbia. They are grouped into 37 Commissions.
Initiative,
Referendum, and Recall
The Initiative,
Referendum, and Recall Procedures Act of 1978 gave voters
the right to file a measure for consideration on the ballot.
A detailed explanation of the Initiative, Referendum,
and Recall process is included.
United
States Senator and Representative
US Senator
and US Representative are local offices, created through
an Initiative Measure. The first elections for these offices
were held in 1990.
See
"Offices on the Ballot" for a more detailed explanation.
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