Michigan Voters Deny Start to Constitution Rewrite
A majority voted down the measure that would have convened a body to draft a new state charter.
By Amina Kaminski ·
Michigan residents voted no on Proposal 1, blocking the start of a process that would have created a new state constitution.
The measure, which appeared on ballots during the midterm election, asked voters whether to hold a constitutional convention. A yes vote would have authorized a group of elected delegates to begin drafting a replacement for the existing document.
The state constitution allows voters to consider this question every 16 years. The option to rewrite the fundamental law of the state was presented to the public as part of the broader ballot.
Had the proposal passed, the next steps would have involved months of work by a convention, often called a con-con. State representatives chosen by voters would have convened to write the new text.
The process would not have ended with the convention. The newly drafted constitution would have required a second vote by the public. Only if that second vote was approved would the new document replace the current one.
With the rejection, the current constitution remains in place, and the formal process to convene a rewriting body has been halted until the next scheduled opportunity.
