1. A petition process. A group of people who want their territory to become a new state must submit a petition to Congress. The petition must include information about the territory's history, geography, population, economy, and proposed state constitution.
2. Congressional approval. Both houses of Congress must pass a bill admitting the territory to the Union. The bill must receive a simple majority vote in the House of Representatives and a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
3. Signature by the President. The President must sign the bill admitting the territory to the Union.
4. Ratification by the State. The territory must ratify the U.S. Constitution. This usually requires a vote by the territory's voters.
Other steps that Congress has sometimes taken in admitting new states to the Union include:
- Requiring the territory to have a minimum population.
- Requiring the territory to have a certain level of economic development.
- Requiring the territory to have a state constitution that meets certain standards.
- Imposing conditions on the new state, such as restrictions on the sale of alcohol or the development of natural resources.
The process of admitting new states to the Union can take many years. In some cases, it has taken more than a century for a territory to become a state.