Georgia Constitution

Georgia Constitution
Preamble
Articles
I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI

The Georgia Constitution is the state constitution of Georgia.

• The current Georgia Constitution was adopted in 1983.
• Georgia has had 10 constitutions.
• The current constitution has 11 articles.
• The current constitution has been amended 91 times.
• Voters last approved amendments to the Georgia Constitution on November 5, 2024.

Georgia does not feature a process for initiated constitutional amendments. Thus, amendments in Georgia can be put on the ballot through referral by the legislature or by a constitutional convention.

A state constitution is the fundamental document that outlines a state's framework for governance, including the powers, structure, and limitations of the state government, individual and civil rights, and other matters.

Background

Georgia became the 4th state on January 2, 1788. Georgia has had 12 ruling documents, from the colonial charter issued in 1732, to the current state constitution, adopted in 1983. Georgia’s first constitution in 1777 was updated in 1789 and 1798. A new constitution was adopted at the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, and at the end of the war in 1865. Another new constitution was adopted during the Reconstruction in 1868 and at its end in 1877. There have been three additional constitutions in 1945, 1976, and the current constitution of 1983.

Over time, Georgia has used three different methods of constitutional revision: seven were revised by constitutional conventions, two by constitutional commissions and one by the office of legislative counsel of the Georgia General Assembly.

Preamble

See also: Preamble, Georgia Constitution and Preambles to state constitutions

The preamble to the Georgia Constitution states:

	''To perpetuate the principles of free government, insure justice to all, preserve peace, promote the interest and happiness of the citizen and of the family, and transmit to posterity the enjoyment of liberty, we the people of Georgia, relying upon the protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

Article I

See also: Article I, Georgia Constitution

Article I is titled "Bill of Rights" and contains the Bill of Rights for the citizens of Georgia.

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Article II

See also: Article II, Georgia Constitution

Article II is titled "Voting and Elections" and concerns voting and elections in Georgia.

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Article III

See also: Article III, Georgia Constitution

Article III is titled "Legislative Branch" and establishes and defines the legislative branch of government.

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Article IV

See also: Article IV, Georgia Constitution

Article IV is titled "Constitutional Boards and Commissions."

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Article V

See also: Article V, Georgia Constitution

Article V is titled "Executive Branch" and establishes the executive branch and details the responsibilities of the governor.

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Article VI

See also: Article VI, Georgia Constitution

Article VI is titled "Judicial Branch" and establishes the court system in the judicial branch of government.

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Article VII

See also: Article VII, Georgia Constitution

Article VII is titled "Taxation and Finance."

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Article VIII

See also: Article VIII, Georgia Constitution

Article VIII is titled "Education" and establishes the education system for Georgia.

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Article IX

See also: Article IX, Georgia Constitution

Article IX is titled "Counties and Municipal Corporations."

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Article X

See also: Article X, Georgia Constitution

Article X is titled "Amendments to the Constitution" and frames the process for amending the Georgia Constitution.

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Article XI

See also: Article XI, Georgia Constitution

Article XI is titled "Miscellaneous Provisions."

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Amending the Georgia constitution

See also: Amending state constitutions

The Georgia Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution— a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. Georgia requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.

Legislature

See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for the Georgia State Legislature to place an amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 120 votes in the Georgia House of Representatives and 38 votes in the Georgia State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Convention

See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

Georgia: According to Paragraph IV of Article X of the Georgia Constitution, a constitutional convention can occur in Georgia if a two-thirds majority of the members of both houses of the Georgia General Assembly agree to hold it. That agreement does not need to be put to a vote of the people.

The list below notes significant changes from constitution to constitution:

• The Constitution of 1789 brought the Georgia Constitution in-line with the United States Constitution.
• The Constitution of 1798 brought popular election of the governor.
• The Constitution of 1861 added a Bill of Rights.
• The Constitution of 1865 brought the prohibition of slavery.
• The Constitution of 1868 established free public education.
• The Constitution of 1945 brought the addition of a lieutenant governor.
• The Constitution of 1983 brought the largest re-write since 1877. Amendments in 1992 and 2004 allowed for the creation of the lottery (Art I, Sec II, Par VIII) and banned recognition of same-sex marriage (Art I, Sec IV, Par I) respectively.

See also

• State constitution
• Constitutional article
• Constitutional amendment
• Constitutional revision
• Constitutional convention
• Amendments
  • Initiated constitutional amendment
  • Legislatively-referred constitutional amendment
  • Publication requirements for proposed state constitutional amendments
  • Rules about constitutional conventions in state constitutions
  • State constitutional articles governing state legislatures

External links

Suggest a link

• LexisNexis, "Georgia Constitution"
• Georgia Encyclopedia, "Georgia Constitution"
• Quizlet, "Georgia Constitution & Government Study Questions"