Special Programming
Countdown to the New Year
Wednesday, December 18–Sunday, December 29
Visit the National Constitution Center for special activities and fun for the whole family! Join us as we count down to the new year by exploring a different amendment in the Bill of Rights each day.
Learn MoreThe National Constitution Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate.
Museum Open Wednesday-Sunday
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Educational Resources on the Constitution
Live Online Programs
Join us for live virtual classes and other interactive online events for learners.
Educational Videos
Browse the latest educational videos on a range of topics and recoded sessions from our live classes.
Founders’ Library
Read over 150 primary source documents that inspired the Founders and defined modern thought about rights and liberties.
Explore Constitutional Topics
Electoral College
Most democratic nations on earth elect their presidents by direct popular vote, but that was never the American system and still is not. We use the Electoral College system to choose our president.
The Electoral College’s Role in the 2024 Election
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, voters from around the country will complete the process of choosing electors who will pick the next president and vice president of the United States.
Article II, Section 1, Clauses 2 and 3
Most democratic nations on earth elect their presidents by direct popular vote, but that was never the American system and still is not.
Electing the President: The Popular Vote vs. The Electoral College
Authors Jesse Wegman and Robert Hardaway examine the history and current debate over the Electoral College.
Video About Elections
Watch videos featured in the National Constitution Center's Constitution 101 partnership with with Khan Academy.
Why did the founders create the Electoral College?
In this video, Alexander Keyssar talks about why the founders created the Electoral College.
Why didn’t the founders choose to select the president through a national popular vote?
Derek Muller talks about why the founders did not choose a national popular vote to select the president.
What does the Constitution say about voting?
Alexander Keyssar talks about what the Constitution says about voting.
Election Amendments
Since the Founding, several amendments have changed how federal elections are conducted.
A Common Interpretation: The 12th Amendment and the Electoral College
As part of the National Constitution Center’s Interactive Constitution project, Sanford Levinson from the University of Texas examines the Electoral College’s origins, its evolution, and reform measures related to it.
How the 20th Amendment made lame-duck sessions less lame
One of the most important, but least discussed, constitutional amendments made government more responsive by greatly shorting the time outgoing elected officials have a role in passing laws.
The Twenty-Third Amendment
The Amendment allows American citizens residing in the District of Columbia to vote for presidential electors, who in turn vote in the Electoral College for President and Vice President.
Election Process
How the election process is conducted and the Constitution’s role in setting the guidelines for elections have changed greatly over time.
Fewer scenarios likely for a tie in the 2024 presidential election
Unlike other recent campaigns, the specter of a tied election is less likely to hang over the 2024 presidential election due to changes related to the 2020 decennial United States Census.
The Constitution and the federal election process
On Nov. 5, 2024, voters will head to the polls in person to select the next president and vice president of the United States, as well as members of the 119th Congress. How that process is conducted, and the Constitution’s role in setting the guidelines for elections, has changed greatly over time.
America’s Most Consequential Elections: From FDR to Reagan
A conversation with authors Michael Gerhardt and Andrew Busch comparing these pivotal presidencies
At the Museum
Experience the Constitution through rare artifacts, historic documents, interactive galleries, and live programming.
Now Open
The First Amendment
The Center's newest gallery offers a fresh perspective on the history of the First Amendment and how it impacts us today.
Virtual Tour
Signers’ Hall
Signers’ Hall invites you to sign the Constitution alongside 42 life-size, bronze statues of the Founding Fathers.