Ballot Questions
1869
Question #1
State Constitutional Amendment
NYS were asked if they wanted to pass an amendment to the NYS constitution,
to change the whole NYS constitution, except for certain provisions with separate ballot questions - as proposed by the 1867 NY constitutional convention
as proposed by the most recent NYS Constitutional Convention
And the voters said: No!
How We Voted
YES |
43.53% |
|
|
223,935 New Yorkers voted Yes |
||
NO |
|
56.47% |
|
290,456 New Yorkers voted No |
||
514,391 votes determined the outcome of this ballot question.
We found out how every county voted on this ballot question, and mapped it!
Visit this page on a large screen and you'll find our map. Click on a county to see how its voters stood on this questionThis BQ Would Have Amended
Note: When voters approved of provisions, the new changes take effect on January 1st of the year after the question's appearance on the ballot
I.20 proposed for 1870
• Section 20: Divorce.
No divorce shall be granted in this State, except by the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.
Read moreII.1 proposed for 1870
• Section 1: Qualification of voters.
Every male inhabitant, of the age of twenty-one years, who shall have been a citizen for ten days, and a resident of the State for one year next preceding an election, and for the last four months a resident of the county where he may offer his vote, shall be entitled to vote at such election, in the election district…
Read moreII.2 proposed for 1870
• Section 2: Exclusion from right of suffrage.
No person who shall receive, expect or offer to receive, or pay, offer or promise to pay, contribute, offer or promise to contribute to another, to be paid or used, any money or other valuable thing, or who shall make any promise to influence, or as a compensation or reward for the giving or withholding a vote at an election,…
Read moreII.3 proposed for 1870
• Section 3: Right of suffrage not affected by certain occupations and conditions.
For the purpose of voting, no person shall be deemed to have gained a residence by reason of his presence, or lost it by reason of his absence, while employed in the service of the State or of the United States ; nor while engaged in the navigation of the waters of the State or of the United States, or…
Read moreII.4 proposed for 1870
• Section 4: Registration of voters.
Laws shall be made for ascertaining, by proper proofs, the citizens who are entitled to the right of suffrage hereby established. The Legislature shall provide for a registry of citizens entitled to vote in each election district, to be completed four days before each general and special State elecion, and charter elections in cities. No person shall vote at such…
Read moreII.5 proposed for 1870
• Section 5: Elections to be by ballot.
All elections shall be by ballot, except for such town officers as may by law be directed to be otherwise chosen.
Read moreIII.1 proposed for 1870
• Section 1: Legislative power.
The legislative power shall be vested in a senate and assembly. Any elector shall be eligible to the office of senator and member of assembly.
Read moreIII.2 proposed for 1870
• Section 2: Senate, how constituted; Senate districts.
The State shall be divided into thirty-two senate districts, each of which shall choose one senator ; and the term of office shall be four years. The senate districts shall be as follows: First District—The counties of Suffolk, Queens and Richmond. Second District—The First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eleventh, Thirteenth, Fifteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth wards of the city of…
Read moreIII.3 proposed for 1870
• Section 3: Census; reapportionment of senators.
An enumeration of the inhabitants of the State shall be made, under the direction of the Legislature, in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, and in every tenth year thereafter; and the senate districts shall be so arranged by the Legislature at the first session after the return of every enumeration, that each district shall contain, as near…
Read moreIII.4 proposed for 1870
• Section 4: Assembly, how constituted; Apportionment of assembly.
The Assembly shall consist of one hundred and thirty-nine members, who shall be chosen by counties, and shall be apportioned among the several counties of the State, as nearly as may be, according to the number of inhabitants thereof, excluding aliens, and shall hold office for one year. Each county shall be entitled to at least one member, except the…
Read moreIII.5 proposed for 1870
• Section 5: Compensation of members.
The members of the Legislature shall receive an annual salary of one thousand dollars, and ten cents for every mile they shall travel in once going to and returning from their place of meeting, by the most usual route. The speaker of the assembly shall receive an additional salary of five hundred dollars ; but the Legislature shall provide by…
Read moreIII.6 proposed for 1870
• Section 6: Members not to receive certain civil appointments; Certain Federal officers disqualified as members.
No member of the Legislature shall be appointed to any civil office within the State, by the governor, the governor and senate, or by the Legislature, during the time for which he shall have been elected ; and all such appointments and all votes given for any such member therefor shall be void. Nor shall any member of Congress or…
Read moreIII.7 proposed for 1870
• Section 7: Time of elections; legislative term.
The election of members of the Legislature shall be held on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November, unless otherwise directed by the legislature. The first election shall be held in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine. The legislative term shall begin on the first day of January, and the Legislature shall every year assemble on the…
Read moreIII.8 proposed for 1870
• Section 8: Quorum; special powers of each house.
A majority of each house shall constitute a quorum. Each house shall determine the rules of its own proceedings, and be the judge of the election, returns and qualifications of its members ; shall choose its own officers ; and the Senate shall choose a temporary president when the Lieutenant-Governor shall not attend as president, or shall act as Governor.…
Read moreIII.9 proposed for 1870
• Section 9: Journals; public sessions; adjournments.
Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings and publish the same, except such parts as may require secrecy. The doors of each house shall be kept open, except when the public welfare shall require secrecy. Neither house shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than two days.
Read moreIII.10 proposed for 1870
• Section 10: Privileges of members.
For any speech or debate in the Legislature the members shall not be questioned in any other place.
Read moreIII.11 proposed for 1870
• Section 11: Bills may originate in either house.
Any bill may originate in either house of the Legislature ; and bills passed by one house may be amended by the other.
Read moreIII.12 proposed for 1870
• Section 12: Enacting clause.
The enacting clause of bills shall be “The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows,” and no law shall be enacted except by bill.
Read moreIII.13 proposed for 1870
• Section 13: Manner of passing bills.
No bill shall be passed unless by the assent of a majority of the members elected to each house. The question upon the final passage shall be taken immediately upon the last reading ; and the yeas and nays shall be entered on the journal.
Read moreIII.14 proposed for 1870
• Section 14: Laws on one subject.
No law shall embrace more than one subject, which shall be named in the title ; but if the title contain only one subject, the law shall be valid as to that, and void as to other subjects. No law shall be revived, altered or amended by reference to its title only, but the act revived, or the section or…
Read more