Statehood for the District of Columbia 
Why it Matters

Since 1801, residents of the District of Columbia have not had representation in Congress. We have not been able to govern ourselves without interference from Congress. District residents are required to fulfill all the obligations of U.S. citizenship —paying taxes, voting, and serving on juries and in the military — but we are denied a voice in our national government and Congress can throw out our local laws and change our budget. The almost 700,000 of us in Washington, D.C. deserve the same rights that our fellow Americans in the 50 states enjoy. This is a voting rights issue that matters for every American.

We can do it! D.C. can become a state by an act of Congress, signed by the president. The Washington, D.C. Admission Act (HR 51) passed the House twice in 2020 and 2021. In 2024, HR 51 has 210 co-sponsors and S. 51 in the Senate has 46 co-sponsors.

Get inspired and support us in our fight for statehood!

·  Learn about the challenges we face because we don’t have statehood -Watch our Statehood 101 VideoStatehood Stories 

·  For questions or to schedule a briefing: Contact Anne Anderson (statehood@lwvdc.org) 

·  Talk to your friends and family about this hole in our democracy - 10 Things to Know About DC Statehood  
·  Sign our petition - DC Statehood Petition
· Schedule a film viewing of The Last Battlefront

Statehood Resources

DC Statehood Toolkit and Resources 

The DC Statehood Toolkit is designed to provide educational resources for local leagues across the country to educate and engage local citizens and elected officials of the lack of full democracy in our nation's capital and encourage support of DC Statehood. Click on the button to learn more about the toolkit and other resources for DC Statehood.

DC Statehood 101 PowerPoint - This presentation can be downloaded and shared. To view the presentation with narration, click the button above to watch our Statehood 101 video.