The constitution in New York State has been around since 1777, and a convention was first held to revise its content in 1938. The changes made during that convention won approval. However, the changes recommended in the second conventio, held in 1967, were not passed. A later convention, in 1997, was shot down altogether.
In the upcoming election, New York state voters will have the option to vote either for or against the holding of a fourth New York State Constitutional Convention. A “yes” vote cast in the November 7 election will register support for another election in 2018 regarding the convention; a ‘no’ vote will stop all voting on the subject of a convention until 2037. According to Rochester’s Democrat and Chronicle, if the convention were to pass, the vote in 2018 would be a held to elect delegates to attend the convention.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the biggest opponents of the convention are those worried about their pensions, and most specifically those involved in labor unions recognized at the state level. According to the Buffalo News, labor unions are the referrendum’s biggest dissenters and are pushing against it with millions of dollars invested in people voting against the convention.
Several significant groups are supportive of the convention, including those concerned with finance laws that give preference to incumbent politicians, voters who advocate for term limits on New York politicians, gerrymandered districts, and even—one of the largest and most specially interested groups—those interested in legalizing marijuana. Most journalists and lawmakers are encouraging citizens who plan on voting to research the goals of the convention and to read over the current New York State Constitution.
In general, the convention offers the opportunity to make big changes with fewer political roadblocks. According to The Village Voice, some of the potential changes could weaken the strong influence of the governor and grant New York City greater autonomy from the rest of the state: “These delegates would come together with unlimited abilities to propose amending the constitution in any and all ways they can agree upon. Any amendments approved by delegates would need to be ultimately approved by the voters.”
If the measure is approved, the delegate pool will be comprised of three people from each state senate district and fifteen general state representatives. These delegates would convene in April 2019 to discuss and revise the state constitution if the convention were to happen. All decisions made in the convention would then be taken to the voters in November 2019 in the statewide election. This ultimately leaves any final decisions in the voters’ hands.