Provisions
NY’s first state Constitutional Convention in 1777 adopted a founding document to establish the state, declare its sovereignty, and develop its laws.
Since then, a proposal to amend part or completely rewrite the constitution had to be sent to the voters for their approval by ballot question in order to join the constitution.
We’re tracking every time the voters weighed in on a proposed amendment.
Check out the lists below – click on a provision to get its full text and even more info, or click on the ballot question link to see how we voted on it!
And come back soon for even more NY Constitution fresh-squeezed! We’re in the process of breaking down each provision by policy issue and getting data to help understand what have been the big issues in state constitutional history.
This way we can ask ourselves: does the constitution reflect what *we* believe is important in New York’s basic law, or do we need to change it?
Every Proposed State Constitutional Provision Ever Sent to NYS Voters
Want to filter or search the constitutional provisions? Click here!
- I.1 proposed for 1895 • Section 1: No person to be disfranchised. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.2 proposed for 1895 • Section 2: Trial by jury. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.3 proposed for 1895 • Section 3: Religious liberty. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.4 proposed for 1895 • Section 4: Writ of habeas corpus. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.5 proposed for 1895 • Section 5: Bail, fines. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.6 proposed for 1895 • Section 6: Grand jury. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.7 proposed for 1895 • Section 7: Private property — Private roads. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.8 proposed for 1895 • Section 8: Freedom of speech and of the press. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.9 proposed for 1895 • Section 9: Right of petition. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.10 proposed for 1895 • Section 10: Right of property in lands — Escheats. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.11 proposed for 1895 • Section 11: Feudal tenures abolished. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.12 proposed for 1895 • Section 12: Allodial tenure. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.13 proposed for 1895 • Section 13: Certain leases invalid. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.14 proposed for 1895 • Section 14: Fines and quarter-sales abolished. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.15 proposed for 1895 • Section 15: Sale of lands. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.16 proposed for 1895 • Section 16: Old colony laws and acts of the Legislature — Common law — Commissioners to be appointed — Their duties. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.17 proposed for 1895 • Section 17: Grants of lands since 1775 — Prior grants. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- I.18 proposed for 1895 • Section 18: Right of action to recover damages. • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- II.1 proposed for 1895 • Section 1: Qualifications of voters. • In Article II: Suffrage ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- II.2 proposed for 1895 • Section 2: Persons excluded from right of suffrage — Challenge — Laws to be passed excluding from right of suffrage. • In Article II: Suffrage ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- II.3 proposed for 1895 • Section 3: Certain employments not to affect residence of voters. • In Article II: Suffrage ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- II.4 proposed for 1895 • Section 4: Laws to be passed. • In Article II: Suffrage ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- II.5 proposed for 1895 • Section 5: Election to be by ballot. • In Article II: Suffrage ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- II.6 proposed for 1895 • Section 6: Party representation in election boards, etc. • In Article II: Suffrage ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- III.1 proposed for 1895 • Section 1: Legislative powers. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- III.2 proposed for 1895 • Section 2: Senate, number of — Assembly, number of. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 2 of 1894
- III.3 proposed for 1895 • Section 3: State divided into thirty-two senatorial districts — Boundaries thereof — Board of supervisors of the city of New York to divide the county into four Senate districts — Certificate, etc., to be filed. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 2 of 1894
- III.4 proposed for 1895 • Section 4: Census to be taken in 1905, and every ten years — Senate districts, how altered. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 2 of 1894
- III.5 proposed for 1895 • Section 5: Members of Assembly, number of, and how apportioned and chosen — Boards of supervisors in certain counties and board of aldermen in New York city to divide the same into Assembly districts — Description of Assembly districts to be filed — Contents of Assembly districts — Legislature to reapportion members of Assembly — Each county entitled to one member — Hamilton county — Counties and towns may be divided and new ones erected. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 2 of 1894
- III.6 proposed for 1895 • Section 6: Pay of members. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- III.7 proposed for 1895 • Section 7: No member to receive an appointment. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- III.8 proposed for 1895 • Section 8: Persons disqualified from being members. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VI proposed for 1893 ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 2 of 1892
- III.9 proposed for 1895 • Section 9: Time of election fixed. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- III.10 proposed for 1895 • Section 10: Powers of each house. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- III.11 proposed for 1895 • Section 11: Journals to be kept. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- III.12 proposed for 1895 • Section 12: No member to be questioned, etc. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- III.13 proposed for 1895 • Section 13: Bills may originate in either house. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- III.14 proposed for 1895 • Section 14: Enacting clause of bills. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- III.15 proposed for 1895 • Section 15: Assent of a majority of all the members required, etc. • In Article III: The Legislature ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894