In Brief
At the November 2, 2010 general election, the voters of Michigan will decide whether to call a constitutional convention to revise the 1963 Michigan Constitution. That convention would be charged with drafting a general revision of the state constitution to be submitted to the voters at a later date. The question was automatically placed on the ballot by a provision of the current state Constitution that requires the question to be asked every 16 years. Previous questions were defeated in 1978 and 1994 by sizeable majorities.
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Special Elections
If voters opt to call a convention, delegates would be selected on a partisan ballot. Two more elections would be held for a special primary (February) and a special general election (May) to select delegates to the convention. Voters would select 148 convention delegates: one in each district of the Michigan House of Representatives and one in each district of the Michigan Senate.
Delegates Convene
The Constitution provides that a convention would convene in Lansing on October 4, 2011. The delegates would elect convention leadership from among their members, including a president, vice president(s), and committee chairs. They would hire administrative personnel and establish convention
rules or bylaws. The Constitution does not stipulate a time limit or deadline by which a new constitution should be drafted.
Constitutional History
Michigan’s current constitution was narrowly adopted by the voters in 1963. Since then, 80 proposed
amendments have been initiated by the legislature and voter-circulated petitions. The voters have adopted 31 amendments, most frequently amending Article IV (Legislative Branch) and Article IX (Finance and Taxation). Article I (Declaration of Rights), Article V (Executive Branch), and Article VIII (Education) have been amended less frequently. In total, 35 sections have been amended or added.
If Rejected
If the question is rejected, Michigan’s state and local governments will continue operating under the 1963 Constitution and this question will be slated to automatically appear on the ballot again in the year 2026.
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