LANSING, Mich. – This November election, Michigan voters will be asked if they would like to convene a constitutional convention.
The question is not optional and must be asked every 16 years.
The requirement on how often voters have this choice was decided during a rewriting of the Michigan constitution in 1850.
The provision has survived through every Michigan Constitution rewriting since.
Here’s what you’ll see on the ballot
Provision title: “A proposal to convene a constitutional convention for the purpose of drafting a general revision of the state constitution”
Question: “Shall a convention of elected delegates be convened in 2027 to draft a general revision of the State Constitution for presentation to the state’s voters for their approval or rejection?”
Michigan’s current constitution was adopted in 1963, this means voters haven’t voted majority yes on the proposition to change the constitution in over 60 years.
If voters voted yes in November 2026, 148 delegates would gather to decide changes.
Constitution changes may be small tweaks or an entirely new document.
The new document would come back to voters for final approval.
The state’s last opportunity for alterations was in 2010, 67% of voters voted “no”.
Quinn Yeargain, associate professor of Law at Michigan State University joined Local 4 Live to help us understand what has and could happen.
You can watch the full interview in the video at the beginning of this article.