Hawaii Constitutional Convention (1996)
Hawaii Constitutional Convention was on the November 5, 1996 election ballot in Hawaii where it was approved. The ballot question was about whether the state should hold a constitutional convention.
Although the measure was narrowly approved, its passage did not result in a convention being held. Many voters who cast a vote in the November 1996 election left their ballot blank on this question. This led to a situation where although there were more "yes" votes than "no" votes, it was also true that a majority of those who went to the polls that day did not vote "yes" on the constitutional convention question. The Attorney General of Hawaii, asked to consider the ramifications, ruled that the measure had been approved. One of the leading opponents, the state's chapter of the AFL-CIO, then filed a lawsuit which eventually resulted in the Hawaii Supreme Court ruling that the measure had not passed. At that point, the supporters of a constitutional convention filed an initially-successful lawsuit in federal court to require the state to hold a new election. A federal appellate court overturned this federal decision but while the matter was winding its way through the courts, the Hawaii State Legislature separately decided to submit a constitutional convention question to the voters in 1998. It lost in a landslide.[1]
Election results
| Hawaii Constitutional Convention | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes | 163,869 | 50.5% | ||
| No | 160,153 | 49.5% | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
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State of Hawaii Honolulu (capital) |
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