Michigan Constitutional Convention Question (2026)
| Michigan Constitutional Convention Question | |
|---|---|
| |
| Election date | |
| Topic State constitutional conventions | |
| Status On the ballot | |
| Type Automatic constitutional convention question | Origin |
TheMichigan Constitutional Convention Question is on theballot inMichigan as anautomatic ballot referral onNovember 3, 2026.
A"yes" votesupports holding a constitutional convention. |
A"no" voteopposes holding a constitutional convention. |
Overview
What is a constitutional convention?
Aconstitutional convention is a gathering where delegates propose amendments and changes to the state constitution. A constitutional convention question can be automatically scheduled to be put on the ballot for voters to decide, a state legislature can vote to put the question to voters, or citizens can file an initiative to place it on the ballot.
Currently, 42 states have a process of deciding on a constitutional convention.
In 14 states, constitutional convention questions are automatically referred to the ballot after a certain number of years. For these states, there is no requirement for a state legislature to vote to place the question on the ballot. ForAlaska,Iowa,New Hampshire,Rhode Island, andHawaii, the constitutional convention question is referred to the ballot every 10 years. ForMichigan, it is 16 years. ForConnecticut,Illinois,Maryland,Missouri,Montana,New York,Ohio, andOklahoma, a question is placed on the ballot every 20 years.
Twenty-seven states allow their legislature to vote to put a question for a constitutional convention on the ballot. Some of these states require a majority vote in their legislature, while others require a supermajority vote of three-fifths (60%) or two-thirds (66.67%).
Five states—Georgia,Louisiana,Maine,South Dakota, andVirginia—allow for a supermajority legislative vote without voter approval, and four states—Florida,Montana,North Dakota, andSouth Dakota—also have a petition process for citizens to file an initiative to petition for a constitutional convention question on the ballot.
Eight states—Arkansas,Indiana,Massachusetts,Mississippi,New Jersey,Pennsylvania,Texas, andVermont—do not provide for constitutional conventions.[1]
How did this question get on the ballot?
According to Section 3 of Article XII of the Michigan Constitution, a question about whether to hold a state constitutional convention is to automatically appear on the state's ballot every 16 years starting in 1978. Michigan is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question. Placing a constitutional convention on the ballot every 16 years was established when voters approvedProposal 3 in 1960.
Text of measure
Ballot title
The official ballot title is as follows:
| “ | A PROPOSAL TO CONVENE A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DRAFTING A GENERAL REVISION OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION Shall a convention of elected delegates be convened in 2027 to draft a general revision of the State Constitution for presentation to the state’s voters for their approval or rejection? [2] | ” |
Support
Supporters
Officials
- State Sen.Aric Nesbitt (R)
- State Rep.Matt Hall (R)
Arguments
- State Rep. Matt Hall (R): "They stuff so many things in this Constitution, all kinds of things, every time ... Some of those proposals sounded good, but then had intentions that the public is frustrated about."
- State Sen. Aric Nesbitt (R): "I think there’s a lot of things that should be discussed ... And the constitution could be a lot simpler than what it is right now."
Opposition
Ballotpedia has not located a campaign in opposition to the ballot measure. You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, with us ateditor@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign finance
| Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Oppose | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Background
State constitutional conventions
- See also:State constitutional conventions
A state constitutional convention is a gathering of elected delegates who propose revisions and amendments to a state constitution. As of 2024, 233 constitutional conventions to deliberate on state-level constitutions have been held in the United States.
As of 2026, 42 states had rules that govern how, in their state, a constitutional convention can be called. In 14 states, the question of whether to hold a constitutional convention is automatically referred to a statewide ballot without any requirement for a vote of the state Legislature to place the question on the ballot. States that have scheduled automatic ballot referrals for constitutional convention questions include Connecticut (2028), Hawaii (2028), Illinois (2028), Iowa (2030), Maryland (2030), Montana (2030), Alaska (2032), New Hampshire (2032), Ohio (2032), New York (2037), and Missouri (2042).
Past votes on Michigan Constitutional Convention Questions
- See also:List of Michigan ballot measures
The question as to whether to hold a constitutional convention is automatically placed on the statewide general election ballot every 16 years. Placing a constitutional convention on the ballot every 16 years was established when voters approvedProposal 3 in 1960.
Michigan has had four constitutions. The first, written in 1835, allowed Michigan to become a state. The next two were approved in 1850 and 1908. The current constitution was approved by voters in 1963.
The following chart lists the constitutional convention questions that appeared on Michigan ballots:
| Year | Title | Yes vote | No vote | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1866 | Proposal 2 | 73.53% | 26.47% | Approved a |
| 1882 | Proposal 3 | 37.35% | 62.65% | Defeated d |
| 1892 | ConCon Question | 51.06% | 48.94% | Defeatedd |
| 1898 | ConCon Question | 56.05% | 43.95% | Defeatedd |
| 1904 | ConCon Question | 57.91% | 42.09% | Defeatedd |
| 1906 | ConCon Question | 57.91% | 42.09% | Approveda |
| 1926 | ConCon Question | 29.52% | 70.48% | Defeatedd |
| 1942 | Proposal 1 | 46.56% | 53.44% | Defeatedd |
| 1948 | ConCon Question | 51.70% | 48.30% | Approveda |
| 1958 | ConCon Question | 57.45% | 42.55% | Approveda |
| 1961 | ConCon Question | 51% | 49% | Approveda |
| 1978 | Proposal A | 23.26% | 76.74% | Defeatedd |
| 1994 | Proposal A | 27.92% | 72.084% | Defeatedd |
| 2010 | Proposal 10-01 | 33.40% | 66.60% | Defeatedd |
Automatic/mandatory ballot referrals
In 14 states, the question of whether to hold a constitutional convention isautomatically referred to a statewide ballot without any requirement for a vote of the state legislature to place the question on the ballot. One of the fourteen states with a mandatory requirement isOklahoma, though state officials have declined to place the mandatory measure on the ballot since 1970.[3]
| State | Question interval | Last question on ballot | Next question on ballot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Every 10 years | 2022 | 2032 |
| Iowa | Every 10 years | 2020 | 2030 |
| New Hampshire | Every 10 years | 2022 | 2032 |
| Rhode Island | Every 10 years | 2024 | 2034 |
| Hawaii | Every 10 years | 2018 | 2028 |
| Michigan | Every 16 years | 2010 | 2026 |
| Connecticut | Every 20 years | 2008 | 2028 |
| Illinois | Every 20 years | 2008 | 2028 |
| Maryland | Every 20 years | 2010 | 2030 |
| Missouri | Every 20 years | 2022 | 2042 |
| Montana | Every 20 years | 2010 | 2030 |
| New York | Every 20 years | 2017 | 2037 |
| Ohio | Every 20 years | 2012 | 2032 |
| Oklahoma | Every 20 years | 1970 | N/A |
Constitutional convention questions, 2000-2023
From 2000 to 2022, 22 constitutional convention questions appeared on the statewide ballot in 13 states. All of the measures were defeated. The average vote was 64.44% opposed to 35.03% in favor. The question that came closest to being approved was in New Hampshire in 2002, which was defeated by a vote of 49.13% in favor to 50.87% opposed.
| State | Year | Yes (%) | No (%) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 2000 | 32.42% | 67.58% | d |
| Alaska | 2002 | 28.36% | 71.64% | d |
| Missouri | 2002 | 34.55% | 65.45% | d |
| New Hampshire | 2002 | 49.13% | 50.87% | d |
| Rhode Island | 2004 | 48.00% | 52.00% | d |
| Connecticut | 2008 | 40.60% | 59.40% | d |
| Hawaii | 2008 | 35.00% | 65.00% | d |
| Illinois | 2008 | 32.77% | 67.23% | d |
| Iowa | 2010 | 32.84% | 67.16% | d |
| Maryland | 2010 | 48.10% | 40.27% | d |
| Michigan | 2010 | 33.39% | 66.60% | d |
| Montana | 2010 | 41.49% | 58.51% | d |
| Ohio | 2012 | 31.92% | 68.08% | d |
| New Hampshire | 2012 | 35.96% | 64.04% | d |
| Alaska | 2012 | 33.41% | 66.59% | d |
| Rhode Island | 2014 | 44.90% | 55.10% | d |
| New York | 2017 | 16.97% | 83.03% | d |
| Hawaii | 2018 | 25.57% | 74.43% | d |
| Iowa | 2020 | 29.58% | 70.42% | d |
| Alaska | 2022 | 29.52% | 70.48% | d |
| Missouri | 2022 | 32.30% | 67.70% | d |
| New Hampshire | 2022 | 33.89% | 66.11% | d |
Path to the ballot
- See also:State constitutional conventions
According toSection 3 of Article XII of theMichigan Constitution, a question about whether to hold a state constitutional convention is toautomatically appear on the state's ballot every 16 years starting in 1978. Michigan is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question.
The table below shows the last and next constitutional convention question election years:
| State | Interval | Last question on the ballot | Next question on the ballot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 16 years | 2010 | 2026 |
See also
View other measures certified for the 2026 ballot across the U.S. and in Michigan.
Explore Michigan's ballot measure history, includingconstitutional convention questions.
Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.
Footnotes
- ↑History of Indiana's Constitution
- ↑Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑Montana Law Review, "The Political Dynamics of Mandatory State Constitutional Convention Referendums: Lessons from the 2000s Regarding Obstacles and Pathways to their Passage", Volume 71, Issue 2, Summer 2010; retrieved August 21, 2016
