The Constitution did not specify a date for federal elections, but by the time of the second presidential election in 1792, Congress had passed a law requiring presidential electors to be chosen during November or early December.

Despite the fact that the new Congress and presidential administration did not begin operation until April, March 4 was deemed to be the beginning of the newly elected officials' terms of office, and thus of the terms of their successors. In September 1788, after the necessary nine states had ratified the Constitution, the Congress of the Confederation set March 4, 1789, as the date 'for commencing proceedings' of the newly reorganized government. The original text of the Constitution set a duration for the terms of federal elected officials, but not the specific dates on which those terms would begin or end. The default date specified is the first Monday in December, though Congress is empowered to set another date and the president can summon special sessions. Historical background Original text of the Constitution Īrticle I, Section 4, Clause 2 of the Constitution states that Congress must meet at least once a year. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of October following the ratification of this article. The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President-elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President-elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President-elect nor a Vice President-elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President-elect shall have died, the Vice President-elect shall become President. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January unless they shall by law appoint a different day. The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified and the terms of their successors shall then begin. The amendment established congressional terms to begin before presidential terms and that the incoming Congress, rather than the outgoing one, would hold a contingent election if the Electoral College deadlocked regarding either the presidential or vice presidential elections. The amendment reduced the presidential transition and the ' lame duck' period, by which members of Congress and the president serve the remainder of their terms after an election. The Twentieth Amendment was adopted on January 23, 1933. It also has provisions that determine what is to be done when there is no president-elect. The Twentieth Amendment ( Amendment XX) to the United States Constitution moved the beginning and ending of the terms of the president and vice president from March 4 to January 20, and of members of Congress from March 4 to January 3.

Lame duck president