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!
- VIII.16 proposed for 1916 • Section 16: County Courts. • In Article VIII: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- VIII.17 proposed for 1916 • Section 17: Surrogates' Courts. • In Article VIII: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- VIII.18 proposed for 1916 • Section 18: Local judicial officers. • In Article VIII: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- VIII.19 proposed for 1916 • Section 19: Justices of the peace. • In Article VIII: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- VIII.20 proposed for 1916 • Section 20: Court of general sessions of New York City continued. • In Article VIII: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- VIII.21 proposed for 1916 • Section 21: City court of New York City is continued. • In Article VIII: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- VIII.22 proposed for 1916 • Section 22: Inferior local courts. • In Article VIII: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- VIII.23 proposed for 1916 • Section 23: Clerks of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. • In Article VIII: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- VIII.24 proposed for 1916 • Section 24: No judicial officer except justice of the peace to receive fees. • In Article VIII: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- VIII.25 proposed for 1916 • Section 25: Publication of statutes to be provided for. • In Article VIII: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- VIII.26 proposed for 1916 • Section 26: Local judicial officers. • In Article VIII: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- VIII.27 proposed for 1916 • Section 27: Courts of Special Sessions. • In Article VIII: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- VIII.28 proposed for 1916 • Section 28: Commissioners of jurors. • In Article VIII: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- VIII.29 proposed for 1916 • Section 29: Legal process re real property. • In Article VIII: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- IX.1 proposed for 1916 • Section 1: State credit not to be loaned. • In Article IX: State debts ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- IX.2 proposed for 1916 • Section 2: Power to contract debts. • In Article IX: State debts ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- IX.3 proposed for 1916 • Section 3: Debts to repel invasion. • In Article IX: State debts ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- IX.4 proposed for 1916 • Section 4: Limitation of legislative power to create debts. • In Article IX: State debts ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- IX.5 proposed for 1916 • Section 5: Sinking funds. • In Article IX: State debts ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- IX.6 proposed for 1916 • Section 6: Payment of State debts. • In Article IX: State debts ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- IX.7 proposed for 1916 • Section 7: Improvement of highways. • In Article IX: State debts ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- IX.8 proposed for 1916 • Section 8: Highway funds • In Article IX: State debts ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- IX.9 proposed for 1916 • Section 9: Claims. • In Article IX: State debts ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- IX.10 proposed for 1916 • Section 10: Certain canals not to be leased or sold. • In Article IX: State debts ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- IX.11 proposed for 1916 • Section 11: Maintenance of canals. • In Article IX: State debts ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- IX.12 proposed for 1916 • Section 12: Improvements of canals. • In Article IX: State debts ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- X.1 proposed for 1916 • Section 1: Power of taxation. • In Article X: Taxation ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 6 of 1915
- X.2 proposed for 1916 • Section 2: Purposes of taxation. • In Article X: Taxation ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 6 of 1915
- X.3 proposed for 1916 • Section 3: Assessment of real property. • In Article X: Taxation ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 6 of 1915
- XI.1 proposed for 1916 • Section 1: Corporations, how created. • In Article XI: Corporations; municipal debts; boards and commissions ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- XI.2 proposed for 1916 • Section 2: Debts of corporations. • In Article XI: Corporations; municipal debts; boards and commissions ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- XI.3 proposed for 1916 • Section 3: "Corporations" defined. • In Article XI: Corporations; municipal debts; boards and commissions ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- XI.4 proposed for 1916 • Section 4: Charters for savings banks and banking purposes. • In Article XI: Corporations; municipal debts; boards and commissions ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- XI.5 proposed for 1916 • Section 5: Specie payments. • In Article XI: Corporations; municipal debts; boards and commissions ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- XI.6 proposed for 1916 • Section 6: Registry of bills or notes. • In Article XI: Corporations; municipal debts; boards and commissions ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- XI.7 proposed for 1916 • Section 7: Individual responsibility of stockholders. • In Article XI: Corporations; municipal debts; boards and commissions ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- XI.8 proposed for 1916 • Section 8: Insolvency of banks, preference. • In Article XI: Corporations; municipal debts; boards and commissions ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- XI.9 proposed for 1916 • Section 9: Credit or money of the State not to be given or loaned. • In Article XI: Corporations; municipal debts; boards and commissions ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- XI.10 proposed for 1916 • Section 10: Limitation of indebtedness of counties, cities, towns and villages; exception as to city of New York. • In Article XI: Corporations; municipal debts; boards and commissions ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915
- XI.11 proposed for 1916 • Section 11: Local indebtedness. • In Article XI: Corporations; municipal debts; boards and commissions ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1915