New Hampshire voters on Tuesday voted no to a constitutional convention, with a decision of 66% against, 34% in favor. Like Alaska, New Hampshire votes on the matter every 10 years.
In Missouri, voters take up the matter every 20 years. This year, as in the past, they voted it down; the result was 67.7% against, 32.30 in favor.
Alaska voters had the highest percentage of the three states when it came to saying no to a constitutional convention. Voters went 69.84% against the idea. Alaska voters will get a chance to decide the question all over again in 2032.
A constitutional convention brings together elected delegates who meet and consider changes to the state’s constitution. Any proposed changes approved by the delegates must also be approved by voters in a statewide election.
The last time voters in a state approved a constitutional convention question was in 1996 in Hawaii, when the question passed 50.5% to 49.5%. But the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled against the vote, saying that the question had not actually passed the voters since too many voters left their ballots blank on that question.
Prior to that, Alaskans passed the constitutional convention question in 1970, but the Supreme Court, responding to a lawsuit from opponents, threw out the vote, saying the wording of the ballot question was misleading. The question was reworded and put on the 1972 general election ballot, where voters rejected it. Since statehood, 1970 was the only time a constitutional question has passed in Alaska.
