Iowa Amendment 1, Equal Rights for Men and Women Measure (1998)
| Iowa Amendment 1 | |
|---|---|
|
|
|
| Election date |
|
| Topic Constitutional rights and Sex and gender issues |
|
| Status |
|
| Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment |
Origin |
Iowa Amendment 1 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Iowa on November 3, 1998. It was approved.
A "yes" vote supported amending the Iowa Constitution to state that women, as well as men, possess the inalienable rights provided in the Iowa Bill of Rights. |
A "no" vote opposed amending the Iowa Constitution to state that women, as well as men, possess the inalienable rights provided in the Iowa Bill of Rights. |
Election results
|
Iowa Amendment 1 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
|
|
654,419 | 83.58% | ||
| No | 128,589 | 16.42% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Amendment 1 was as follows:
| “ | Shall the following amendment to the Constitution be adopted? Summary: Amends the section on rights of persons to include women. Section 1 of Article I of the Constitution of the State of Iowa is amended to read as follows [new language is underlined]: RIGHTS OF PERSONS. SECTION 1. All men and women are, by nature, free and equal, and have certain inalienable rights – among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety and happiness. | ” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Iowa Constitution
A simple majority vote is required during two successive legislative sessions with an election for state legislators in between for the Iowa State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 51 votes in the Iowa House of Representatives and 26 votes in the Iowa State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
See also
Footnotes
 |
State of Iowa Des Moines (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
