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.4 proposed for 1952 • Section 4: Limitations on local indebtedness • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 6 of 1951
- VIII.5 proposed for 1952 • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 6 of 1951
- VIII.7 proposed for 1952 • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 6 of 1951
- VIII.11 proposed for 1952 • Section 11: Taxes for certain capital expenditures to be excluded from tax limitation • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 6 of 1951
- VI.15 proposed for 1952 • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 7 of 1951
- VI.19 proposed for 1952 • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 8 of 1951
- VI.1 proposed for 1954 • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1953
- VI.2 proposed for 1954 • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1953
- VI.14-a proposed for 1954 • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1953
- VI.15-a proposed for 1954 • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1953
- VI.16 proposed for 1954 • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1953
- VI.11 proposed for 1954 • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 2 of 1953
- IV.1 proposed for 1954 • In Article IV: Executive ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 3 of 1953
- V.1 proposed for 1954 • In Article V: Officers And Civil Departments ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 3 of 1953
- VIII.2-a proposed for 1954 • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1953
- IV.3 proposed for 1954 • In Article IV: Executive ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1953
- IV.6 proposed for 1954 • In Article IV: Executive ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 6 of 1953
- VIII.2 proposed for 1954 • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 7 of 1953
- VIII.5 proposed for 1954 • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 7 of 1953
- VIII.7 proposed for 1954 • Section 7: Debt-incurring power of New York city; certain additional indebtedness to be excluded • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 7 of 1953
- VIII.10.version1 proposed for 1954 • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 7 of 1953
- VIII.10-a proposed for 1954 • Section 10-a: Application and use of revenues: certain public improvements • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 7 of 1953
- VIII.10.version2 proposed for 1954 • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 8 of 1953
- XIV.2 proposed for 1954 • Section 2: Reservoirs • In Article XIV: Conservation ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 9 of 1953
- VII.19 proposed for 1956 • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1955
- VI.16-a proposed for 1956 • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 10 of 1955
- XVIII.3 proposed for 1956 • In Article XVIII: Housing ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 2 of 1955
- II.2 proposed for 1956 • In Article II: Suffrage ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 3 of 1955
- II.5 proposed for 1956 • In Article II: Suffrage ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 3 of 1955
- V.1 proposed for 1956 • In Article V: Officers And Civil Departments ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1955
- VIII.5 proposed for 1956 • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1955
- VIII.2-a proposed for 1956 • Section 2-a: Local indebtedness for water supply, sewage and drainage facilities and purposes; allocations and exclusions of indebtedness • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 6 of 1955
- XIV.2-a proposed for 1956 • In Article XIV: Conservation ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 7 of 1955
- VI.19 proposed for 1956 • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 8 of 1955
- VI.11 proposed for 1956 • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 9 of 1955
- VII.19 proposed for 1958 • Section 19: State debt for expansion of state university • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1957
- XVIII.3 proposed for 1958 • Section 3: Article VII to apply to state debts under this article, with certain exceptions; amortization of state debts; capital and periodic subsidies • In Article XVIII: Housing ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 2 of 1957
- I.9 proposed for 1958 • In Article I: Bill Of Rights ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 3 of 1957
- XVIII.5 proposed for 1958 • Section 5: Liability for certain loans made by the state to certain public corporations • In Article XVIII: Housing ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 4 of 1957
- XIV.3 proposed for 1958 • In Article XIV: Conservation ◦ Proposed by the Legislature ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1957