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Nevada Constitution
| Nevada Constitution |
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| Articles |
| Preliminary Action • Ordinance • Preamble • 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • XVIII • 19 • Election Ordinance |
The Nevada Constitution is the state constitution of Nevada.
- The current Nevada Constitution was adopted in 1864.
- Nevada has had one state constitution.
- The current state constitution has 19 articles.
- The current Nevada Constitution has been amended over 112 times.[1]
- Voters last approved two amendments to the Nevada Constitution on November 5, 2024.
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
Nevada became the 36th state on October 31, 1864. The Nevada Constitution was created at a constitutional convention on July 4, 1864, in Carson City, Nevada. The convention adjourned on July 28 and the constitution took effect on October 31, when President Abraham Lincoln declared Nevada to be a state.[2]
Preamble
The preamble of the Nevada Constitution states:
Article 1: Declaration of Rights
- See also: Article 1, Nevada Constitution
Article 1 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Declaration of Rights" and consists of 22 sections.
Click here to read this article of the Nevada Constitution.
Article 2: Right of Suffrage
- See also: Article 2, Nevada Constitution
Article 2 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Right of Suffrage" and consists of 10 sections.
Click here to read this article of the Nevada Constitution.
Article 3: Distribution of Powers
- See also: Article 3, Nevada Constitution
Article 3 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Distribution of Powers" and consists of one section.
Click here to read this article of the Nevada Constitution.
Article 4: Legislative Department
- See also: Article 4, Nevada Constitution
Article 4 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Legislative Department" and consists of 39 sections.
Click here to read this article of the Nevada Constitution.
Article 5: Executive Department
- See also: Article 5, Nevada Constitution
Article 5 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Executive Department" and consists of 22 sections.
Click here to read this article of the Nevada Constitution.
Article 6: Judicial Department
- See also: Article 6, Nevada Constitution
Article 6 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Judicial Department" and consists of 21 sections.
Click here to read this article of the Nevada Constitution.
Article 7: Impeachment and Removal From Office
- See also: Article 7, Nevada Constitution
Article 7 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Impeachment and Removal from Office" and consists of four sections.
Click here to read this article of the Nevada Constitution.
Article 8: Municipal and Other Corporations
- See also: Article 8, Nevada Constitution
Article 8 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Municipal and Other Corporations" and consists of ten sections.
Click here to read this article of the Nevada Constitution.
Article 9: Finance and State Debt
- See also: Article 9, Nevada Constitution
Article 9 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Finance and State Debt" and consists of five sections.
Click here to read this article of the Nevada Constitution.
Article 10: Taxation
- See also: Article 10, Nevada Constitution
Article 10 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled 'Taxation" and consists of six sections.
Click here to read this article of the Nevada Constitution.
Article 11: Education
- See also: Article 11, Nevada Constitution
Article 11 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Education" and consists of ten sections.
Click here to read this article of the Nevada Constitution.
Article 12: Militia
- See also: Article 12, Nevada Constitution
Article 12 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Militia" and consists of two sections.
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Article 13: Public Institutions
- See also: Article 13, Nevada Constitution
Article 13 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Public Institutions" and consists of three sections, the last of which was repealed in 1937.
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Article 14: Boundary
- See also: Article 14, Nevada Constitution
Article 14 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Boundary" and has one section.
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Article 15: Miscellaneous Provisions
- See also: Article 15, Nevada Constitution
Article 15 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Miscellaneous Provisions" and consists of 16 sections.
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Article 16: Amendments
- See also: Article 16, Nevada Constitution
Article 16 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Amendments" and consists of two sections.
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Article 17: Schedule
- See also: Article 17, Nevada Constitution
Article 17 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Schedule" and consists of 26 sections.
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Article XVIII: Right of Suffrage
- See also: Article XVIII, Nevada Constitution
Article XVIII of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Right to Suffrage" and was repealed in 1992.
Click here to read this article of the Nevada Constitution.
Article 19: Initiative and Referendum
- See also: Article 19, Nevada Constitution
Article 19 of the Nevada Constitution is entitled "Initiative and Referendum" and consists of six sections.
Click here to read this article of the Nevada Constitution.
Amending the constitution
The Nevada Constitution can be amended via three different paths: a constitutional convention, a legislatively referred constitutional amendment or an initiated constitutional amendment.
Initiative
- See also: Initiated constitutional amendment
An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.
In Nevada, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 10% of the total number of votes cast in the preceding general election. A simple majority vote in two consecutive elections is required for voter approval.
Legislature
A simple majority vote is required during two successive legislative sessions for the Nevada State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 22 votes in the Nevada State Assembly and 11 votes in the Nevada State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Convention
According to Section 2 of Article 16 of the Nevada Constitution, a two-thirds vote of the Nevada State Legislature is required to refer a constitutional convention question to the ballot. A simple majority vote of the electorate is required to call a convention.
See also
- State constitution
- Constitutional article
- Constitutional amendment
- Constitutional revision
- Constitutional convention
- Amendments
External links
- Nevada State Legislature, "Nevada Constitution"
- Online Nevada Encyclopedia (ONE), "Nevada Statehood"
Footnotes
- ↑ According to Bowers, the Constitution of 1864 had been amended at least 110 times.
- ↑ Bowers, M. W. (2011). The Nevada State Constitution. New York, NY: Oxford University Press
- ↑ Nevada State Legislature, "Nevada Constitution," accessed March 30, 2014
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