Most of the residents of the district of Columbia spoke in favor of granting this administrative unit status of the state, a consultative referendum, which was held simultaneously with the presidential election. On Wednesday, 9 November, reports NBC4 Washington.
In support of this idea, voted 86 percent of the votes.
In this regard, the district mayor Muriel Bowser said that the residents of its decision outlined “a new path to statehood.”
After the results of the referendum, the US Congress bill giving Colombia the status of the state, which is supposed to support both houses of Parliament and then signed by the President.
The district of Columbia, the territory of which is the capital of the USA Washington, is an independent territory, not a part of any one of the States. Washington manages the municipal Council of 13 members headed by the mayor, but the U.S. Congress has Supreme authority over the city and can cancel the laws adopted by the Council. Therefore, residents of the city have fewer rights to self-governance than residents of the States. The County has a non-voting delegate in the House of representatives of the us Congress, but no representatives in the Senate.
Prior to the adoption in 1961, the 23rd amendment to the US Constitution residents of the district had no right to vote.