3 USC § 13 - Same; demand on district judge for certificate

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t3/s13"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "3 USC § 13 - Same; demand on district judge for certificate"
title_number: 3
title_name: "THE PRESIDENT"
section_number: "13"
section_name: "Same; demand on district judge for certificate"
chapter_number: 1
chapter_name: "PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AND VACANCIES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(June 25, 1948, ch. 644, 62 Stat. 674; Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 655, § 9, 65 Stat. 712; Pub. L. 98–497, title I, § 107(e)(1), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2291; Pub. L. 117–328, div. P, title I, § 108(b), Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5237.)"
---


# § 13. Same; demand on district judge for certificate

When, after the meeting of the electors shall have been held, no certificates of votes from any State shall have been received at the seat of government on the fourth Wednesday in December, the President of the Senate or, if the President of the Senate be absent from the seat of government, the Archivist of the United States shall send a special messenger to the district judge in whose custody one certificate of votes from that State has been lodged, and such judge shall forthwith transmit that certificate by the hand of such messenger to the seat of government.

---

**Source Credit**: (June 25, 1948, ch. 644, 62 Stat. 674; Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 655, § 9, 65 Stat. 712; Pub. L. 98–497, title I, § 107(e)(1), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2291; Pub. L. 117–328, div. P, title I, § 108(b), Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5237.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2022— inserted “, after the meeting of the electors shall have been held,” after “When” and substituted “in December,” for “in December, after the meeting of the electors shall have been held,”, “or, if the President of the Senate be absent” for “or, if he be absent”, and “that certificate” for “that list”.

1984— substituted “Archivist of the United States” for “Administrator of General Services”.

1951—Act , substituted “Administrator of General Services” for “Secretary of State”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as a note under , Public Printing and Documents.