A presidential veto can be overridden only if both chambers of Congress vote by a two-thirds majority to pass the bill again. In practical terms, that means enough members in the House and Senate must support the override for the bill to become law despite the veto.

How it works

  • The President vetoes the bill and sends it back to Congress with objections.
  • The House votes first if the bill originated there, or the Senate if it originated there.
  • If that chamber reaches a two-thirds vote, the bill goes to the other chamber.
  • If the second chamber also reaches two-thirds, the veto is overridden and the bill becomes law.

Vote numbers

If every member votes, the threshold is usually:

  • House: 290 of 435.
  • Senate: 67 of 100.

Important limit

This only applies to a regular veto. A pocket veto cannot be overridden because Congress is not available to receive the bill back in the normal way.

Simple rule

Think of it as: two-thirds in the House + two-thirds in the Senate = override.