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The Congress may determine the Time of choosing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States. | The Congress may determine the Time of choosing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States. | ||
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 thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States. | No Person except a '''{{#tip-text: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|No person except: | ||
* = requirements for eligibility of office for President: | |||
* eligibility for the office is restricted to citizens of the United States at the time of adoption of the Constitution, | |||
* and any one "natural born" in the country after Declaration of Independence (1776) | |||
* all Presidents up to Martin Van Buren (8th president, 1837-1841) were born before the Declaration; Van Buren was born in 1782 | |||
* One way to think through the meaning of this section is to consider Alexander Hamilton's original draft: | |||
''"No person shall be eligible to the office of President of the United States unless he be now a Citizen of one of the States, or hereafter be born a Citizen of the United States."''}}'''; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the '''{{#tip-text:Age of thirty five Years|= eligibility for office for President | |||
* this requirement is more than for the House and the Senate | |||
* reflects the "republican principal of government by virtuous, experienced rulers}}''', and been fourteen 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, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected. | 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, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected. |