Join NYDLC on Weds, April 5th for our Next Constitutional Convention Working Group Meeting! 

Please RSVP below. Members are also welcome to call in to the meeting. Dial in credentials will be emailed to all RSVPs

Section 2 of Article XIX of New York State's constitution provides that every twenty years, at the general election (November 2017), the question “Shall there be a convention to revise the constitution and amend the same?” must be placed on the ballot. If a majority of voters approve, the following year (November 2018), the voters of every State Senate district in New York shall elect three delegates as well as fifteen delegates-at-large, who will then convene in Albany in April (April 2, 2019) to consider amendments to the NYS Constitution. Any amendments proposed at the convention must then be subsequently ratified or defeated by New York voters at the subsequent November election. 

Although NYDLC has not taken an official position on the question of whether or not to there should be a Constitutional Convention in 2017, we believe it is important to educate the public and raise awareness about the ballot question, and to discuss, research, and prepare proposals that align with NYDLC's pro-voter mission, in the event that a majority of New Yorkers decide in favor of the November 2017 question. We encourage all members to take a look at the following resources on this issue: 

• - The New York State Constitutional Convention Clearinghouse

• - SUNY Rockefeller Institute

• - NYPIRG Primer on NYS Con-Con

• - NYS League of Women Voters

• - Effective New York

• - NYS People's Convention

• - ChangeNYS

Several NYDLC pro-voter legislative priorities currently implicate the NYS Constitution, insofar as certain election-related issues (eg. what is the latest voter registration deadline permissible?; who qualifies for an absentee ballot?) are inscribed there. If given the opportunity, what should New York's Constitution say about voting rights? Join the Working Group and help us decide.  

Please RSVP below. Members are also welcome to call in to the meeting. Dial in credentials will be emailed to all RSVPs