2016 Washington, D.C., statehood referendum
A referendum on statehood for the District of Columbia was held on November 8, 2016. It was the first referendum on statehood to be held in the district. The District of Columbia was created following the passage of the Residence Act on July 9, 1790, which approved the creation of a national capital, the City of Washington on the Potomac River.
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Shall the voters of the District of Columbia advise the Council to approve or reject this proposal? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Voting system | Simple majority | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in the District of Columbia |
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District of Columbia voters were asked to advise the Council to approve or reject a proposal, which included advising the council to petition Congress to admit the District as the 51st state and to approve a constitution and boundaries for the new state. The voters of the District of Columbia voted overwhelmingly to advise the Council to approve the proposal, with 86% of voters voting to advise approving the proposal.