17th Amendment Ratified: Direct Election of Senators Ends State Legislature Appointments and Deadlock Corruption

Connecticut became the 36th state to ratify the 17th Amendment, meeting the three-fourths requirement to establish direct election of United States senators by popular vote. The amendment modified Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution, which had required state legislatures to appoint senators. Congress passed the amendment on May 13, 1912. The amendment arose from Progressive Era dissatisfaction with political corruption and inefficiency. Late in the 19th century, some state legislatures deadlocked over senator elections when different parties controlled different houses—Senate vacancies could last months or years. The amendment superseded the original constitutional provision under which senators were appointed by state legislatures. Popular support for passage surged during the Progressive Era as a response to concerns about corruption in the appointment process. The transition to direct election began with special elections in Georgia and Maryland, then in earnest with the November 1914 election. Augustus Bacon of Georgia became the first senator directly elected under the 17th Amendment on July 15, 1913. Sitting senators were not affected until their existing terms expired. The transition was complete on March 4, 1919, when senators chosen by the November 1918 election took office. This represented a significant democratization of the Senate and reduction of opportunities for state-level political corruption in federal representation.