Skip to main content
Free & Fair Elections
No. 4: Candidate Qualifications

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to establish criminal disqualification standards, financial disclosure requirements, conflict of interest prohibitions, post-service lobbying restrictions, anti-self-dealing provisions, and age eligibility limits for candidates and officeholders.

...they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.

- Washington's Farewell Address 1796 (Founder)

For the assertion “that evil communications corrupt good manners,” is not more true than its reverse. We have allowed this house the power to impeach, but we have tenaciously reserved the right to try.

- Anti-Federalist No.9 (Montezuma)

Why This Amendment?

People who run for office should be honest, capable, and working for the public—not themselves. They are meant to represent the American people, not their own self-interests. But the Constitution sets almost no standards for who can serve. Washington warned that without safeguards, "cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men" would use government to serve themselves and then destroy the system that gave them power. The Anti-Federalists warned that corruption spreads—bad behavior in office becomes normal if no one stops it. Today, that warning has come true.

  • No Criminal Disqualification

    A person convicted of a felony can still run for Congress or the presidency. The only disqualification in the Constitution is for insurrection. Someone convicted of fraud, bribery, or abuse of power can still hold the highest offices in the country.

  • No Financial Disclosure Requirements

    Candidates do not have to show voters where their money comes from or what they own. Voters cannot see conflicts of interest before they vote.

  • Stock Trading While in Office 

    Members of Congress can buy and sell stocks in companies affected by laws they write. A study found that 18% of lawmakers traded stocks in sectors they oversee. They can profit from decisions they make.

  • Weak Ethics Rules

    Ethics rules exist, but penalties for breaking them are small. Officials can violate disclosure rules and face little consequence.

  • Revolving Door to Lobbying

    After leaving office, members of Congress only have to wait two years before lobbying their former colleagues. Senior staff wait one year. Public servants become influence-peddlers almost immediately.

  • No Upper Age Limit

    The Constitution sets minimum ages—35 for President, 30 for Senator, 25 for Representative—but no maximum. There is no requirement that officials remain mentally capable of doing the job and allows age to become a political campaign weapon.

The Full Text • Amendment IV

Candidate Qualifications

Each section shows the legal text and what it means in plain language. You don't need a law degree to understand what you're voting on.

Current status
Status Voting open
0 Verified votes cast
Criminal Disqualification

Legal text

  1. No person shall be eligible to hold or seek election to any federal office who has been convicted in any jurisdiction of:
    (1) Treason, sedition, or insurrection against the United States;
    (2) Bribery, corruption, or extortion involving a position of public trust;
    (3) Electoral fraud, vote suppression, or interference with the administration of elections;
    (4) Any crime involving the abuse of public office;
    (5) Murder in the first degree;
    (6) Any sexual offense, including sexual assault, sexual abuse, human trafficking, or any offense against a minor of a sexual nature;
    (7) Any felony committed while holding federal, state, or local office.
  2. No person shall be eligible to hold or seek election to any federal office who has been convicted of any other felony, until ten years have elapsed following the completion of all terms of imprisonment, probation, and supervised release, and upon petition to a federal court demonstrating rehabilitation. The court shall consider the nature of the offense, the time elapsed, and evidence of rehabilitation in determining eligibility.
  3. No person shall be eligible to hold or seek election to any federal office who has been convicted of a misdemeanor involving fraud, dishonesty, or false statement, until five years have elapsed following the completion of sentence, and upon petition to a federal court demonstrating rehabilitation.
  4. The disqualifications in this section shall not apply to:
    (1) Convictions for simple possession of a controlled substance;
    (2) Convictions for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, unless such offense resulted in death or serious bodily injury, or unless the person has three or more such convictions;
    (3) Offenses that have been expunged, sealed, or set aside by the convicting jurisdiction prior to the filing of candidacy.
  5. Any person who is convicted of a disqualifying offense under subsection (a) while holding federal office shall be subject to removal proceedings. Upon final conviction, the appropriate body shall initiate removal within thirty days.

     

Plain Language

  1. A person cannot run for or hold any federal office if they have been convicted of certain serious crimes anywhere. These include crimes like betraying the United States, trying to overthrow the government, taking bribes, abusing public office, cheating in elections, first-degree murder, sexual assault or crimes against minors, or committing any felony while serving in government.
  2. If a person was convicted of a different felony not listed above, they must wait ten years after finishing prison, probation, and supervision. After that, they must ask a federal court to let them run. The court will look at what the crime was, how much time has passed, and whether the person has shown real change and responsibility.
  3. If a person was convicted of a misdemeanor involving lying, fraud, or dishonesty, they must wait five years after finishing their sentence. They must also ask a federal court to show they have been rehabilitated before they can run.
  4. These rules do not apply to:
    (1) Simple possession of drugs;
    (2) A DUI, unless someone was killed or seriously hurt, or the person has three or more DUIs;
    (3) Crimes that were officially erased, sealed, or cleared before the person filed to run for office.
  5. If someone commits one of the serious crimes listed in part (a) while already serving in federal office, they must go through removal proceedings. Once the conviction is final, the proper authority must begin removing them from office within thirty days.
     
Financial Disclosure

Legal text

  1. No person shall appear on the ballot for any federal office unless such person has filed, not fewer than ninety days before the election, a complete financial disclosure with the Federal Election Commission, which shall be made available to the public.
  2. A candidate for President or Vice President shall disclose:
    (1) Complete federal, state, and local tax returns for the ten years preceding the filing of candidacy;
    (2) All assets and liabilities, including real property, securities, business interests, and debts exceeding ten thousand dollars;
    (3) All sources of income exceeding one thousand dollars during the preceding ten years;
    (4) All positions held in any corporation, partnership, or other business entity during the preceding ten years;
    (5) The identity of all clients, customers, or entities from whom the candidate received payment exceeding ten thousand dollars during the preceding five years, unless disclosure is prohibited by law.
  3. A candidate for the Senate or House of Representatives shall disclose:
    (1) Complete federal, state, and local tax returns for the five years preceding the filing of candidacy;
    (2) All assets and liabilities, including real property, securities, business interests, and debts exceeding ten thousand dollars;
    (3) All sources of income exceeding one thousand dollars during the preceding five years;
    (4) All positions held in any corporation, partnership, or other business entity during the preceding five years.
  4. Congress shall have power to adjust the monetary thresholds in this section to reflect changes in the value of money.
     

Plain Language

  1. A person cannot be placed on the ballot for federal office unless they file a full financial report with the Federal Election Commission at least ninety days before the election. That report must be made public so everyone can see it.

  2. Anyone running for President or Vice President must share:
    (1) All of their federal, state, and local tax returns from the past ten years;
    (2) Everything they own and everything they owe, including property, investments, business interests, and any debts over ten thousand dollars;
    (3) Every source of income over one thousand dollars from the past ten years;
    (4) Any leadership or ownership roles they held in businesses during the past ten years;
    (5) The names of any clients, customers, or organizations that paid them more than ten thousand dollars in the past five years, unless the law does not allow that information to be shared.

  3. Anyone running for the Senate or the House of Representatives must share:
    (1) All of their federal, state, and local tax returns from the past five years;
    (2) Everything they own and owe, including property, investments, business interests, and debts over ten thousand dollars;
    (3) Every source of income over one thousand dollars from the past five years;
    (4) Any leadership or ownership roles they held in businesses during the past five years.

  4. Congress may change the dollar amounts listed in this section so they keep up with inflation over time.

Conflict of Interest

Legal text

  1. No member of Congress shall participate in any vote or committee proceeding on any matter in which the member, the member’s spouse, or any dependent has a direct and substantial financial interest, unless such interest is shared generally by the public or a broad class of persons.
  2. The President and Vice President, upon taking office, shall divest all financial interests that could present a conflict with the duties of office, or place such interests in a blind trust managed by an independent trustee with no prior relationship to the officeholder. The terms of such trust shall be approved by the Office of Government Ethics and disclosed to the public.
  3. Members of Congress shall place in a blind trust, or divest, any financial interest in any entity that is directly and substantially affected by legislation pending before any committee on which the member serves.
  4. No person holding federal office shall use the authority of such office to influence any official action for the purpose of personal financial benefit.

Plain Language

  1. A member of Congress cannot vote or take part in a committee decision if they, their spouse, or their dependent child would directly make a lot of money from that decision. The only exception is if the benefit is something most people would receive too, not just them. 
  2. When the President or Vice President takes office, they must get rid of any business or financial interests that could affect how they do their job. Instead, they can place those interests into a blind trust run by an independent person who has no past connection to them. The rules of that trust must be approved by the Office of Government Ethics and made public. 
  3. A member of Congress must either sell or place into a blind trust any financial interest in a company or organization that would be strongly affected by a bill being considered by a committee they serve on.
  4. No federal official is allowed to use their power or position to make decisions that help them personally make money.
Post-Service Restrictions

Legal text

  1. No former President, Vice President, or head of an executive department shall engage in lobbying activities before any officer or employee of the executive branch for a period of five years following the conclusion of service.
  2. No former member of Congress shall engage in lobbying activities before any member, officer, or employee of Congress for a period of five years following the conclusion of service.
  3. No former senior executive branch official, as defined by Congress, shall engage in lobbying activities before the department or agency in which such official served for a period of three years following the conclusion of service.
  4. Congress shall have power to define lobbying activities and to extend but not reduce the restrictions in this section.

Plain Language

  1. A former President, Vice President, or Cabinet head cannot try to lobby or influence anyone in the executive branch for five years after leaving office.
  2. A former member of Congress cannot try to lobby or influence anyone in Congress for five years after leaving office.
  3. A former high-level executive branch official cannot lobby the same department or agency where they worked for three years after leaving that job.
  4. Congress can decide exactly what counts as lobbying and can make these waiting periods longer, but it cannot shorten them.
Anti-Self-Dealing

Legal text

  1. No law enacted by Congress that affects the conduct, administration, or eligibility requirements of elections for any federal office held by members who voted for such law shall take effect until the beginning of the term following the next regularly scheduled election for that office.
  2. No law enacted by Congress that extends or alters the term of office for any federal office shall apply to any person holding such office at the time of enactment.

Plain Language

  1. If Congress passes a law that changes how federal elections are run, or who is allowed to run, that law cannot take effect right away for the people who voted for it. It will only apply starting with the next term after the next regular election for that office.
  2. If Congress passes a law that changes how long a federal office lasts, the change does not apply to the people who are already in that office when the law is passed. It will only apply to future officeholders.
Age Eligibility

Legal text

  1. No person who has attained the age of seventy years shall be eligible to file for candidacy for the office of President or Vice President.
  2. This section shall not disqualify any person who filed for candidacy before attaining the age of seventy years from completing the term for which elected.

Plain Language

  1. No one who is seventy years old or older can file to run for President or Vice President.
  2. If someone files to run before they turn seventy and then wins the election, they are allowed to serve the full term, even if they turn seventy while in office.
Enforcement

Legal text

  1. The rights secured by this article are self-executing and shall not require enabling legislation to be enforceable.
  2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
  3. Any citizen of the United States shall have standing to bring suit in any federal court to enforce the provisions of this article.
  4. No State law or action inconsistent with this article shall have any force or effect.
  5. No provision of this article shall be construed to limit individual rights or remedies otherwise available under this Constitution or the laws of the United States.
  6. The Federal Election Commission shall have authority to receive and publish disclosures required by this article, to investigate violations, and to impose civil penalties.
  7. No person who fails to comply with the disclosure requirements of Section 2 shall appear on any ballot for federal office. The Federal Election Commission shall certify compliance before any candidate’s name is placed on the ballot.
  8. Any person who knowingly files a false or materially incomplete disclosure under this article shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall be permanently disqualified from holding federal office under Section 1(a).

Plain Language

  1. The amendment works on its own. The moment it becomes part of the Constitution, people can use it. Congress does not have to pass another law first to “turn it on.” If someone violates it, a court can enforce it right away.
  2. Congress has the power to pass laws to carry out and enforce this amendment.
  3. Any candidate or political party whose rights under this amendment are denied may file a lawsuit in federal court to ask a judge to stop the violation.
  4. Any State law or action that conflicts with this amendment has no legal effect.
  5. It does not take away any other rights people already have. It adds protections, but it does not reduce anything that already exists in the Constitution or other laws. If someone has another legal option to protect their rights, they can still use it.
  6. The Federal Election Commission is responsible for collecting the required financial reports, making them public, investigating any violations, and issuing civil penalties when the rules are broken.
  7. Anyone who does not follow the financial disclosure rules in Section 2 cannot be placed on the ballot for federal office. The Federal Election Commission must confirm that a candidate has followed the rules before their name can appear on the ballot.
  8. Anyone who knowingly files a false report or leaves out important information commits a felony. If convicted, that person can never hold federal office again under Section 1(a).
Effective Date and Implementation

Legal text

  1. This article shall take effect immediately upon ratification.
  2. This article shall be inoperative unless ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within one year from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.

Plain Language

  1. This starts immediately once voted in; no waiting period. 
  2. It only becomes part of the Constitution if enough states approve it. Three-fourths of the states must vote yes. If that does not happen within one year after Congress sends it to the states, then the amendment fails and does not take effect at all.
Log in to vote.

Provisional Voting

These options exist because some provisions in this amendment have more than one legitimate solution. The draft reflects what comparative research and international precedent suggest is the strongest approach — but reasonable people can disagree on implementation.

You get one vote per poll. You are not required to vote on any of them. Only vote if you believe the current draft language should change. If none of the listed options reflect your position, you can submit an alternative in the discussion below.

Log in to respond to provisional polls.

Questions and Consideration

This discussion space is limited to questions, suggestions, and substantive discussion directly related to the amendment proposal and its specific provisions. It is not a forum for general political advocacy, campaign messaging, misinformation, or self-promotion. All comments are moderated for relevance, accuracy, and compliance with the site’s participation standards. Comments that do not meet these requirements will be rejected. If a comment is rejected, the user will be notified and provided the reason for rejection.