Missouri Constitutional Convention Question

           The Missouri Constitution Convention Question asks voters to decide whether or not there should be a constitutional convention called to revise and amend the Missouri Constitution.

           Why the question now? It has been a requirement (since 1962) under the law that the question be asked of Missouri voters every 20 years. If passed, there would be a constitutional convention called in the state, with delegates selected to meet to revise and/or amend the Missouri Constitution. Since being a required question of voters since 1962, there has never been a “yes” vote that carried. Should the question receive a majority of “yes” votes, a constitutional convention will be called, and revisions or amendments could be made to the current Constitution. A “No” vote would mean that the current Constitution is kept as-is.



           Notably, few rules govern such a convention. If called, the governor would ask for delegates to be sent to the convention. Delegates would be nominated by local parties in each state senate district, and the top two vote getters (presumably a Republican and Democrat) would be sent to the convention. There would also be fifteen non-partisan delegates selected. Members of the legislature and the governor, for example, would not be allowed to be delegates. Beyond that, there are few rules that guide how the convention would operate, and no assurance that it would work to amend or revise the current state constitution.