Isabella Carter
The Illinois Constitution provides four mechanisms for amending the state constitution: a constitutional convention, a legislative process, and a citizen-initiated process. Amendments to the Illinois Constitution must be approved by Illinois voters. The precise timing of an election on a proposed amendment depends on whether it is proposed by an initiative petition or by the legislature, but in all cases, proposed amendments must be submitted to voters at a general election. Amendments proposed by the General Assembly must be approved by three-fifths of the members elected to each house and are then submitted to the electors at the general election.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who can propose amendments? | The General Assembly, a Convention, or citizens via an initiative petition |
| Who approves amendments? | Illinois voters |
| What is the required majority? | Three-fifths of those voting on the amendment or a majority of those voting in the election |
| When are amendments voted on? | At the next general election occurring at least six months after the proposed amendment is approved by the General Assembly |
| How often is a constitutional convention question put to voters? | Every 20 years, starting in 1918 |
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What You'll Learn
Amendments must be approved by Illinois voters
The Illinois Constitution provides four mechanisms for amending the state constitution: a constitutional convention, a legislative process, and a citizen-initiated process. Amendments must be approved by Illinois voters.
Amendments proposed by the General Assembly shall be published with explanations, as provided by law, at least one month before the vote by the electors. The vote on the proposed amendment or amendments shall be on a separate ballot. A proposed amendment shall become effective as the amendment provides if approved by either three-fifths of those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in the election.
In Illinois, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 8% of the votes cast for the governor in the previous gubernatorial election. Initiated measures in Illinois may only amend Article IV of the Illinois Constitution, which addresses the structure of the Illinois State Legislature. All amendments must be approved by either a majority of those voting in the election or three-fifths of those voting on the amendment itself.
According to Article XIV, a question about whether to hold a constitutional convention is to automatically appear on the state's ballot every 20 years, starting in 1918. Illinois is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question. A constitutional convention question can also be placed before the state's voters if 60% of the members of both houses of the Illinois General Assembly vote in the affirmative. If such a question does appear on the ballot, it must be affirmed by a supermajority vote of 60% of those voting on the question or a majority of those who cast a ballot for any office in that election.
The people of Illinois reserve a limited, initiative power to amend the state constitution. The power is limited in the sense that constitutional initiatives shall be limited to structural and procedural subjects contained in Article IV, which pertains to the state legislature. An amendment to the state constitution proposed by the legislature must be approved by Illinois voters. The precise timing of an election on a proposed constitutional amendment depends on whether it is proposed by an initiative petition or by the legislature, but in all cases, proposed amendments must be submitted to voters at a general election.
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Amendments are limited to structural and procedural subjects
The Illinois Constitution provides four mechanisms for amending the state constitution: a constitutional convention, a legislative process, and a citizen-initiated process. Amendments are limited to structural and procedural subjects contained in Article IV. This means that amendments can only be made to the Illinois State Legislature.
Amendments to the Illinois Constitution can be proposed by the General Assembly or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures. Amendments proposed by the General Assembly must be published with explanations at least one month before the vote and must be on a separate ballot. Amendments are then approved by either three-fifths of those voting on the amendment or a majority of those voting in the election.
The number of signatures required for a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 8% of the votes cast for the governor in the previous gubernatorial election. Initiated measures may only amend Article IV of the Illinois Constitution, which addresses the structure of the Illinois State Legislature.
A question about whether to hold a constitutional convention is to automatically appear on the state's ballot every 20 years, starting in 1918. Illinois is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question. A constitutional convention question can also be placed before the state's voters if 60% of the members of both houses of the Illinois General Assembly vote in favor.
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A constitutional convention question appears on the ballot every 20 years
Illinois is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question. According to Article XIV of the Illinois Constitution, a question about whether to hold a constitutional convention appears automatically on the state's ballot every 20 years, starting in 1918. This is also the case in Connecticut, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, and Oklahoma, where voters consider whether to hold a convention every 20 years.
In Illinois, a constitutional convention question can also be placed before the state's voters if 60% of the members of both houses of the Illinois General Assembly vote in the affirmative. If such a question does appear on the ballot, it must be affirmed by a supermajority vote of 60% of those voting on the question or a majority of those who cast a ballot for any office in that election.
The Illinois Constitution provides four mechanisms for amending the state constitution: a constitutional convention, a legislative process, and a citizen-initiated process. Amendments approved by a vote of three-fifths of the members elected to each house shall be submitted to the electors at the general election next occurring at least six months after such legislative approval. Amendments proposed by the General Assembly shall be published with explanations at least one month before the vote by the electors. The vote on the proposed amendment or amendments shall be on a separate ballot. A proposed amendment shall become effective as the amendment provides if approved by either three-fifths of those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in the election.
In some states, the legislature can call a convention without having to ask the voters for their approval of a convention. In others, the state legislature can act to place on the ballot a question asking the voters whether they wish to call a convention. These states vary in terms of the percentage of the state legislature that must vote to place such a question on the ballot. Once a constitutional convention question has been placed before the voters, the percentage of them that must approve it for it to become part of the state's constitution also varies.
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A supermajority vote of 60% is required to pass an amendment
The Illinois Constitution provides four mechanisms for amending the state constitution: a constitutional convention, a legislative process, and a citizen-initiated process. An amendment to the state constitution proposed by the legislature must be approved by Illinois voters. The precise timing of an election on a proposed amendment depends on whether it is proposed by an initiative petition or by the legislature. However, in all cases, proposed amendments must be submitted to voters at a general election.
A supermajority vote of 60% is a significant requirement for passing an amendment in Illinois. It ensures that any changes to the state's constitution have a broad level of support and consensus. This process helps to protect the integrity and stability of the constitution by preventing amendments from being passed by a simple majority or a narrow margin.
It is worth noting that, in addition to the supermajority vote requirement, there are other important steps in the amendment process. For example, proposed amendments must be submitted to voters on a separate ballot from the candidate ballot, and voters are provided with information and arguments for and against each amendment. These steps promote an informed decision-making process and ensure that voters have a clear understanding of the potential changes to the constitution.
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Amendments must be approved by three-fifths of each house
The Illinois Constitution provides four mechanisms for amending the state constitution: a constitutional convention, a legislative process, and a citizen-initiated process. Amendments to the Illinois Constitution must be approved by three-fifths of each house of the General Assembly. This is known as a "legislatively referred amendment". The General Assembly can refer constitutional amendments to the ballot for voters to decide. A 60% vote is required during one legislative session for the Illinois General Assembly to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 71 votes in the Illinois House of Representatives and 36 votes in the Illinois State Senate, assuming no vacancies.
A legislatively referred amendment must be submitted to voters at the next general election occurring at least six months after the proposed amendment is approved by three-fifths of all members elected to each house of the legislature. The ballot for any proposed constitutional amendment in Illinois must display the following information: a brief caption indicating the article or section of the constitution that is to be amended, above the "yes" or "no" options. The contents of the ballot are also the same regardless of the amendment's source, although the entity responsible for drafting the contents is different. In addition to an explanation of the amendment, the ballot also includes arguments for and against each amendment.
An amendment to the state constitution proposed by the legislature must be approved by Illinois voters. The precise timing of an election on a proposed constitutional amendment depends on whether it is proposed by an initiative petition or by the legislature, but in all cases, proposed amendments must be submitted to voters at a general election. A constitutional initiative must be submitted to voters at a general election to be specified in the petition, which must be filed with the Secretary of State at least six months before such a general election.
A constitutional convention question can also be placed before the state's voters if 60% of the members of both houses of the Illinois General Assembly vote in the affirmative. If such a question does appear on the ballot, it must be affirmed by a supermajority vote of 60% of those voting on the question or a majority of those who cast a ballot for any office in that election.
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Frequently asked questions
Amendments to the Illinois Constitution must be approved by Illinois voters.
The Illinois Constitution provides four mechanisms for amending the state constitution: a constitutional convention, a legislative process, a citizen-initiated process, and legislatively referred amendments. Amendments must be submitted to voters at a general election and can be approved by either a majority of those voting in the election or three-fifths of those voting on the amendment.
According to Article XIV of the Illinois Constitution, a question about whether to hold a constitutional convention is to automatically appear on the state's ballot every 20 years starting in 1918.
The ballot for any proposed constitutional amendment in Illinois must display the following information: a brief caption indicating the article or section of the constitution that is to be amended, above the "yes" or "no" options. In addition to an explanation of the amendment, the ballot also includes arguments for and against each amendment.
