Before an amendment is ratified what happens?

Before an amendment is ratified, it must first be proposed either by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of state legislatures. Following this proposal, it must then be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures or by conventions in three-fourths of the states. This process ensures that any amendment has broad support at both the federal and state levels before becoming part of the Constitution.