What is the effect of the Twenty-Third Amendment on electoral college voting?

The Twenty-Third Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961, specifically provides for the inclusion of Washington, D.C. in the electoral college. Prior to this amendment, residents of the District of Columbia did not have the right to vote in presidential elections, since they were not represented by a state. The amendment allows D.C. to elect three electors for the electoral college, which equal to the number of electors given to the smallest states. This was a significant step in ensuring that residents of the nation's capital could have a voice in presidential elections, thereby enhancing the democratic process.

The amendment does not increase or decrease the total number of electoral votes nationwide; rather, it adds votes specifically from Washington, D.C. It also does not abolish the electoral college, which remains as the mechanism by which the president and vice president are elected. Instead, the amendment expanded the electoral system to include a previously unrepresented population, addressing concerns about disenfranchisement.