Oklahoma Constitutional Convention Question (2020)
| Oklahoma Constitutional Convention Question | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2020 | |
| Topic Constitutional conventions | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Automatic referral | Origin Dictated by law |
The Oklahoma Constitutional Convention Question was not on the ballot in Oklahoma as an automatic ballot referral on November 3, 2020.[1][2]
Text of the measure
Ballot title
The ballot question would have been as follows:
| “ |
Shall the Legislature call a Constitutional Convention which shall be authorized to propose alterations, revisions or amendments to the Oklahoma Constitution or to propose a new Constitution for the State of Oklahoma? SHALL THE PROPOSAL BE APPROVED? FOR THE PROPOSAL — YES AGAINST THE PROPOSAL — NO [3] |
” |
Full text
The full text is available here.
Background
Constitutional convention referrals in other states
In fourteen 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.
Every 10 years
Like Iowa, four other states have a Constitutional Convention question on the statewide ballot every ten years: Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
Every 16 years
One state, Michigan, has a Constitutional Convention question on the statewide ballot every sixteen years. The question will next appear on Michigan's ballot in 2026.
Every 20 years
Eight states have a Constitutional Convention question on the statewide ballot every twenty years: Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, and Oklahoma.
Recent constitutional convention questions
- Hawaii voters rejected a constitutional convention question in 2018 by a vote of 70 percent to 30 percent.
- New York voters rejected a constitutional convention question in 2017 by a vote of 83 percent to 17 percent.
- Rhode Island voters rejected a constitutional convention question in 2014 by a vote of 55 percent to 45 percent.
Last ConCon question that was approved
The last time voters approved a constitutional convention question was in 1996 in Hawaii. The question was approved in a vote of 50.5 percent to 49.5 percent. Although it was approved, its passage did not result in a convention being held. The Hawaii 1996 constitutional convention question was considered to be approved at first, but due to a situation in which many voters left their ballots blank when answering the question, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that the question had actually not passed, and therefore no convention was held.
Last ConCon question that was approved and resulted in a convention being held
The last constitutional convention question that resulted in a convention being held was in Rhode Island in 1984. The approval of the question led to the state of Rhode Island holding a constitutional convention in 1986.
Scheduled constitutional convention questions
Scheduled automatic ballot referrals for constitutional convention questions include: Alaska (2022), Missouri (2022), New Hampshire (2022), Rhode Island (2024), Michigan (2026), Connecticut (2028), Hawaii (2028), Illinois (2028), Iowa (2030), Maryland (2030), Montana (2030), Alaska (2032), New Hampshire (2032), and Ohio (2032).[4]
Path to the ballot
This measure was introduced as Senate Joint Resolution 31 on February 3, 2020. On March 12, 2020, the state Senate passed SJR 31 in a vote of 34-9. All nine Senate Democrats voted against the measure. Among Republicans, 34 voted in favor and four were excused. The measure was passed with amendments in the House on May 14, 2020, by a vote of 85-0 with 15 representatives excused. The Senate rejected the measure on May 15, 2020, in a vote of 41 votes against to four votes in favor. The Senate did not pass the measure before the legislature adjourned on May 29, 2020.[1]
| Vote in the Oklahoma House of Representatives | |||
| Requirement: Simple majority vote of all members in each chamber | |||
Number of yes votes required: 51  | |||
| Yes | No | Not voting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 85 | 0 | 15 |
| Total percent | 85% | 0% | 15% |
| Democrat | 12 | 0 | 11 |
| Republican | 73 | 0 | 4 |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Oklahoma State Legislature, "Senate Joint Resolution 31 Overview," accessed March 16, 2020
- ↑ Oklahoma Legislature, "Senate Joint Resolution 31 Text," accessed March 16, 2020
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Political Science Now, "A Political Primer on the Periodic State Constitutional Convention Referendum by J.H. (“Jim”) Snider- The State Constitutional Convention Clearinghouse," accessed December 12, 2018
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