Delaware Constitutional Convention Question (1851)
| Delaware Constitutional Convention Question | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic State constitutional conventions |
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| Status |
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| Type Legislatively referred constitutional convention question |
Origin |
Delaware Constitutional Convention Question was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional convention question in Delaware on November 4, 1851. It was approved.
A "yes" vote supported calling a state constitutional convention. |
A "no" vote opposed calling a state constitutional convention. |
Election results
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Delaware Constitutional Convention Question |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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3,335 | 73.04% | ||
| No | 1,231 | 26.96% | ||
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- Results are officially certified.
- Source
Aftermath
The Delaware General Assembly passed legislation for a state constitutional convention on February 4, 1852. The Delaware Constitutional Convention of 1852-1853 convened on December 7, 1852, and selected Truston B. McColley, a businessman and preacher from Milford, to serve as convention president. Delegates debated whether the convention was legitimate under the existing 1831 Constitution, which said, "No Convention shall be called but by authority of the people. ... and if a majority of all the citizens of the State having a right to vote for representatives vote for a Convention, the next General Assembly shall call one."[1] A majority of voters supported the constitutional convention question, but it did not receive approval from a majority of all eligible citizens. Delegate Andrew C. Gray (Whig) introduced a resolution stating that the convention lacked constitutional power. Some, including former Gov. David Hazzard (Whig), resigned from the convention. According to Randy Holland, "... as part of resolving the dispute over the legitimacy of the convention, the delegates had unanimously decided to submit the final product to the people of Delaware for ratification. Before adjourning, the convention set October 11, 1853, as the date for this vote. Only twenty-one of the original thirty delegates signed the final document."[2]
Voters rejected the proposed constitution on October 11, 1853.
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Constitutional Convention Question was as follows:
| “ | For a Convention Against a Convention | ” |
Path to the ballot
The Delaware General Assembly passed legislation referring the constitutional convention question to the ballot.
See also
Footnotes
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