John Adams, the first Vice President, called it the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived. For much of the nineteenth century the office was often vacant, and its holders had little to do between Senate tie votes. Its importance grew in the twentieth century, as Vice Presidents took on executive duties and as several succeeded to the presidency in a crisis.
This guide explains the constitutional design, the Senate role, succession, the electoral count, and how the modern vice presidency works.
The Vice President, as President of the Senate, presides over the joint session in January where electoral votes are counted, including when the Vice President is a candidate. Several Vice Presidents have announced their own defeat. After disputes over the 2020 count, Congress passed the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, which states that the Vice President's role is solely ministerial and that the presiding officer has no power to reject or decide disputes over electors.
Eight Presidents have died in office and one resigned, and in each case the Vice President became President. John Tyler set the precedent in 1841 by claiming the full office rather than acting as a caretaker. Six other Vice Presidents were later elected President in their own right. Before 1967 the vice presidency was left vacant 16 times, sometimes for years, because the Constitution had no way to fill it.
Since 1949 the Vice President has been a statutory member of the National Security Council. In 1977 Walter Mondale became the first Vice President with an office in the West Wing and a weekly private meeting with the President, a model later Vice Presidents followed. The Office of the Vice President has its own staff, the Secret Service protects the Vice President, and since 1974 the official residence has been at the Naval Observatory in Washington. Supporters of a strong vice presidency say it produces an experienced successor, while critics, especially after the influential tenure of the early 2000s, argue that an unelected staff and an office with few defined duties can escape accountability.
Ratified in 1967, the 25th Amendment lets the President nominate a new Vice President, subject to confirmation by a majority of both houses. It was used in 1973 for Gerald Ford after Spiro Agnew resigned and in 1974 for Nelson Rockefeller after Ford became President, so for a time neither the President nor the Vice President had been elected to their office. The amendment also makes the Vice President Acting President during a declared presidential disability and gives the Vice President, with a majority of the Cabinet, a role in declaring the President unable to serve.
The Vice President is the Senate's presiding officer but may vote only to break a tie. In practice the Vice President rarely presides, and the President pro tempore or a junior senator usually fills the chair. Tie-breaking votes have become more frequent in closely divided Senates, especially on budget reconciliation bills and nominations. A record 33 tie-breaking votes were cast from 2021 to 2025, surpassing the record John C. Calhoun had held since the 1830s.
Under the original Constitution, each elector cast two votes for President, and the runner-up became Vice President. The 1796 election produced a President and Vice President from rival parties, and the 1800 election ended in a tie between running mates. The 12th Amendment, ratified in 1804, required separate votes for President and Vice President and said that no one ineligible to be President may be Vice President. The Vice President must meet the same qualifications as the President: a natural-born citizen, at least 35 years old, and 14 years a resident.
See the full line of succession in presidential succession explained, follow the disability rules in the 25th Amendment explained, or learn how the ticket is chosen in the Electoral College explained.