Malcolm Rivera
Wyoming has had one state constitution in its history, which was adopted on September 30, 1889, and ratified by voters on November 5, 1889. The constitution was drafted by 49 delegates from across Wyoming Territory, who met in Cheyenne and assembled the document in just 25 days. The constitution has since been amended 71 times, with voters last approving a new amendment on November 5, 2024.
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What You'll Learn
Wyoming's constitution was ratified in 1889
Wyoming has had one state constitution, which was ratified on November 5, 1889, by a vote of 6,272 to 1,923. The constitution was adopted on September 30, 1889, and Wyoming became the 44th state on July 10, 1890.
The process of drafting Wyoming's constitution began in July 1889, when 49 delegates were elected to meet in Cheyenne and assemble the document. The delegates were under pressure to produce the document quickly, as it would put more pressure on Congress to admit Wyoming as a new state. In just 25 days, they drafted the constitution, which was based on the U.S. Constitution and included 21 articles.
Wyoming's constitution included a Declaration of Rights, which codified rights that had not been specifically reserved to individuals in the U.S. Constitution. This included the statement that "all members of the human race are equal in their inherent right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The Wyoming Constitution also granted women the right to vote and hold office, which had been the law in Wyoming Territory since 1869.
Another key difference between the Wyoming and U.S. Constitutions is the structure of the executive branch. While the president and vice president are the only two executive officers elected nationwide, Wyoming's constitution provides for the governor and four other officers to be elected statewide. This diffuses the power of the governor compared to most states, as each member has an equal vote on policy matters.
Wyoming's constitution has been amended 71 times since its ratification in 1889. The most recent amendment was approved by voters on November 5, 2024.
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It has been amended 71 times
Wyoming has had one state constitution, which was adopted on September 30, 1889, and ratified by voters on November 5, 1889. The constitution has been amended 71 times. The most recent amendment was approved by voters on November 5, 2024.
Amending the Wyoming Constitution requires a legislative or convention-referred constitutional amendment, all of which require voter approval. According to Section 3 of Article 20 of the Wyoming Constitution, placing a constitutional convention question on the ballot requires a two-thirds (66.67%) vote during one legislative session. A simple majority of voters must then approve the question before the legislature can call for a convention during its next session.
The Wyoming Constitution consists of 21 articles, some of which have been amended or repealed over time. For example, Article 2, entitled "Legislative Department", consists of 53 sections, one of which has been repealed. Article 5, entitled "Judicial Department", has also seen amendments, with two of its 29 sections repealed. Similarly, Article 3, Section 10, entitled "Corporations", has been repealed, while Article 7, Section 7, entitled "Education; State Institutions; Promotion of Health and Morals; Public Buildings", has been superseded.
The process of amending the Wyoming Constitution allows for ongoing refinement and adaptation of the state's framework for governance. It enables the state to address changing circumstances, evolving perspectives, and the needs of its citizens over time.
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It has 21 articles
Wyoming has had one state constitution, which was adopted on September 30, 1889, and ratified by voters on November 5, 1889. The current Wyoming Constitution has 21 articles and has been amended 71 times.
The first article of the Wyoming Constitution is a Declaration of Rights, which consists of 39 sections. Article I contains language and ideas from many of the then-existing fifteen amendments of the U.S. Constitution. It codifies rights that had not been specifically reserved to individuals in the national document. For example, Article I includes statements such as “all power is inherent in the people” and “all members of the human race are equal . . . in their inherent right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Article II of the Wyoming Constitution is entitled "Suffrage and Elections" and consists of 22 sections. Notably, this article includes Section 1, which protects women's rights to vote and hold office, as had been the law in Wyoming Territory since 1869. Wyoming became the first state to grant women the right to vote with the writing of its first constitution in 1889.
Article III, entitled "Legislative Department," consists of 53 sections, one of which has been repealed. Article IV, "Executive Department," consists of 15 sections, while Article V, "Judicial Department," consists of 29 sections, with two repealed.
Article VI is entitled "Education; State Institutions; Promotion of Health and Morals; Public Buildings" and consists of 23 sections, one of which has been superseded. Article VII, "Corporations," has 19 sections, with one repealed. Article VIII, "Boundaries," consists of a single section.
The Wyoming Constitution outlines the state's framework for governance, including the powers, structure, and limitations of the state government, individual and civil rights, and other matters. It has been amended multiple times to reflect changing needs and perspectives in the state.
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Article VI, Section 1 protects women's right to vote
Wyoming has had one state constitution, which was adopted on September 30, 1889, and ratified by voters on November 5, 1889. The constitution has been amended 71 times.
Article VI, Section 1 of the Wyoming Constitution, entitled "Suffrage and Elections", protects women's right to vote. The article reads: "The rights of citizens of the State of Wyoming to vote and hold office shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex". This article guarantees that women and men alike have the right to vote and hold office, without any preconditions.
The inclusion of women's suffrage in the Wyoming Constitution was a significant moment in the state's history and the broader women's suffrage movement. Wyoming Territory had already granted women the right to vote in 1869, making it the first territory in the world to do so. However, there was uncertainty about whether Congress would approve a state constitution that included women's suffrage. Despite this, the delegates to Wyoming's constitutional convention in 1889 voted to include it. This made Wyoming the first state to guarantee women's right to vote in its constitution.
The inclusion of women's suffrage in the Wyoming Constitution was not without opposition. There was some "grumbling in Congress", and it was noted that no other state had equal suffrage at the time. However, Wyoming's example helped to reassure Americans that female participation in the political process was not something to be feared. In the years leading up to the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women the right to vote at the federal level, several western states followed Wyoming's lead, including Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and California.
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The constitution was drafted by 49 delegates
Wyoming has had one state constitution in its history. The constitution was drafted by 49 delegates in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in September 1889. The delegates were chosen in a special election called by Territorial Governor Francis E. Warren. They assembled the document in just 25 days.
At the time, Wyoming Territory's businessmen and politicians sought statehood to gain more local control over land and water issues. However, one obstacle was the territory's low population, which had only slowly increased since its establishment in 1869. Despite this, Governor Warren pushed forward with the election of delegates to a constitutional convention.
The delegates modelled Wyoming's constitution on the U.S. Constitution, which had been drawn up 100 years earlier. However, they also made important departures from it. For example, Wyoming's constitution set up an executive branch structure quite different from the national one. While the president and vice president are the only two executive officers elected nationwide, Wyoming's constitution provided that the governor and four other officers—the secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, and superintendent of public instruction—all be elected statewide.
The Wyoming Constitution was ratified on November 5, 1889, and Wyoming became a state on July 10, 1890. It has since been amended 71 times, with voters most recently approving a new amendment on November 5, 2024.
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Frequently asked questions
Wyoming has had one constitution, which was adopted on September 30, 1889, and ratified by voters on November 5, 1889.
The Wyoming Constitution has been amended 71 times. The last amendment was approved by voters on November 5, 2024.
The process of drafting the Wyoming Constitution was a hurried one. 49 delegates met in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and in just 25 days, they assembled the document. The U.S. Constitution was the primary model for the Wyoming Constitution, but the two documents are quite different in many ways.
The Wyoming Constitution played a significant role in the state's admission to the Union. Territorial Governor Francis E. Warren knew that producing a constitution quickly would put pressure on Congress to admit Wyoming as a new state, and his tactic proved successful. Wyoming became a state on July 10, 1890.
