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!
- VI.9 proposed for 1895 • Section 9: Jurisdiction of Court of Appeals. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VI.10 proposed for 1895 • Section 10: Judges of Court of Appeals, or justices of Supreme Court, to hold no other office. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VI.11 proposed for 1895 • Section 11: Removals — Proceedings in relation thereto. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VI.12 proposed for 1895 • Section 12: Compensation of judges and justices. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VI.13 proposed for 1895 • Section 13: Impeachment. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VI.14 proposed for 1895 • Section 14: County Courts. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1894
- VI.15 proposed for 1895 • Section 15: Surrogates' Courts. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VI.16 proposed for 1895 • Section 16: Local judicial officers. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VI.17 proposed for 1895 • Section 17: Justices of the peace. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VI.18 proposed for 1895 • Section 18: Inferior local courts. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VI.19 proposed for 1895 • Section 19: Clerks of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VI.20 proposed for 1895 • Section 20: No judicial officer except justice of the peace to receive fees. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VI.21 proposed for 1895 • Section 21: Publication of statutes to be provided for. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VI.22 proposed for 1895 • Section 22: Local judicial officers. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VI.23 proposed for 1895 • Section 23: Courts of Special Sessions. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VII.1 proposed for 1895 • Section 1: State credit not to be loaned. • In Article VII: State Finance; Forest Preserve; Canals ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VII.2 proposed for 1895 • Section 2: Power to contract debts. • In Article VII: State Finance; Forest Preserve; Canals ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VII.3 proposed for 1895 • Section 3: Debts to repel invasion. • In Article VII: State Finance; Forest Preserve; Canals ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VII.4 proposed for 1895 • Section 4: Limitation of legislative power in the creation of debts. • In Article VII: State Finance; Forest Preserve; Canals ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VII.5 proposed for 1895 • Section 5: Sinking funds. • In Article VII: State Finance; Forest Preserve; Canals ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VII.6 proposed for 1895 • Section 6: Claims. • In Article VII: State Finance; Forest Preserve; Canals ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VII.7 proposed for 1895 • Section 7: Forest preserve. • In Article VII: State Finance; Forest Preserve; Canals ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VII.8 proposed for 1895 • Section 8: Certain canals not to be leased or sold. • In Article VII: State Finance; Forest Preserve; Canals ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VII.9 proposed for 1895 • Section 9: Maintenance of canals. • In Article VII: State Finance; Forest Preserve; Canals ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 3 of 1894
- VII.10 proposed for 1895 • Section 10: Improvements of canals. • In Article VII: State Finance; Forest Preserve; Canals ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 3 of 1894
- VIII.1 proposed for 1895 • Section 1: Corporations, how created. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VIII.2 proposed for 1895 • Section 2: Debts of corporations. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VIII.3 proposed for 1895 • Section 3: "Corporations" defined. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VIII.4 proposed for 1895 • Section 4: Charters for savings banks and banking purposes. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VIII.5 proposed for 1895 • Section 5: Specie payments. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VIII.6 proposed for 1895 • Section 6: Registry of bills or notes. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VIII.7 proposed for 1895 • Section 7: Individual responsibility of stockholders. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VIII.8 proposed for 1895 • Section 8: Insolvency of banks, preference. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VIII.9 proposed for 1895 • Section 9: Credit or money of the State not to be given or loaned. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VIII.10 proposed for 1895 • Section 10: Counties, cities, towns and villages not to give money or property or loan their money or credit — Their power to contract debts limited. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VIII.11 proposed for 1895 • Section 11: State Board of Charities. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VIII.12 proposed for 1895 • Section 12: Same subject. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VIII.13 proposed for 1895 • Section 13: Inspection of institutions. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VIII.14 proposed for 1895 • Section 14: Maintenance of charitable institutions. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894
- VIII.15 proposed for 1895 • Section 15: Commissioners, terms of office, etc. • In Article VIII: Corporations and Charities ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1894