after the adjournment thereof. Suci. revision, alteration, or amendments shall be adopted upon approval by a majority of the electors voting thereon, provided such majority be not less than one-third of the total number voting at the election if it is a general election or if it is a special election provided such majority be not less than one-third of the total vote cast at the last preceding general election; and any revision, alteration or amendments so adopted shall take effect on the first day of January next after such approval, unless another date shall be specified in the revision, alteration or amendment itself. Section 2. Amendments to this constitution may be proposed in either house of the General Assembly, and if the same shall be voted for by two-thirds of all the members elected to each of the two houses, such proposed amendments, together with the yeas and nays of each house thereon shall be entered in full on their respective journals. A petition signed by qualified electors of the state equal to ten percentum of the votes cast for governor at the last preceding election (not more than one-half of whom shall be residents of any one county) may require the submission to the people of any amendment proposed in either house of the general assembly, either in its original form or with any amendments proposed in either house. However if such a proposed amendment shall be placed upon its final passage in each house and fails in either house to receive the affirmative votes of onethird of all members elected to such house it shall not be so submitted. The petition shall be filed with the secretary of state within six months after the adjournment of the General Assembly, and shall contain the full text of the proposed amendments whose submission is required. Petitions shall be verified by affidavits of those obtaining the signatures. The Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State shall constitute a board to pass upon, the sufficiency of petitions, and when a petition is approved by them its sufficiency shall not be questioned in any court. A finding of the board that a petition is not sufficient may be reviewed upon a petition for mandamus filed in the Supreme Court within thirty days. These provisions are self-executing, but the General Assembly may enact appropriate legislation regulating the verification of signatures, and other matters connected with the preparation and presentation of petitions. Amendments proposed either by the General Assembly or as a result of popular petition in the manner provided above shall be submitted to the electors of this state for adoption or rejection at the next general election, unless the General Assembly by a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each of the two houses shall order a special election for that purpose. The proposed amendments shall be submitted in such manner as may be prescribed by law, and shall be published in full at least three months preceding the election. If a majority of the electors voting thereon shall vote for the proposed amendments, they shall become a part of this constitution, provided such majority be not less than one-third of the total number voting at the election if it is a general election, or if it is a special election, provided such majority be not less than one-third of the total vote cast at the last preceding general election. When two or more amendments are submitted at the same election they shall be so submitted as to enable the electors to vote upon each amendment separately. Every amendment shall take effect on the first day of January next after its approval, unless another date shall be specified in the amendment itself. No amendment submitted to and approved by the people shall be held invalid if in its proposal and adoption there has been substantial compliance with the terms of this section. 6. Constitution of Michigan, Article XVII: Section 1. Any amendment or amendments to this constitution may be proposed in the senate or house of representatives. If the same shall be agreed to by two-thirds of the members elected to each house, such amendment or amendments shall be entered on the journals, respectively, with the yeas and nays taken thereon; and the same shall be submitted to the electors at the next spring or autumn election thereafter, as the legislature shall direct; and, if a majority of electors qualified to vote for members of the legislature voting thereon shall ratify and approve such amendment or amendments, the same shall become part of the constitution. Sec. 2. Amendments may also be proposed to this constitution by petition of the qualified voters of this state. Every such petition shall include the full text of the amendment so proposed and be signed by not less than ten per cent of the legal voters of the state. Initiative petitions proposing an amendment to this constitution shall be filed with the secretary of state at least four months before the election at which such proposed amendment is to be voted upon. Upon receipt of such petition by the secretary of state, he shall canvass the same to ascertain if such petition has been signed by the requisite number of qualified electors, and if the same has been so signed, the proposed amendment shall be submitted to the electors at the next regular election at which any state officer is to be elected. Any constitutional amendment initiated by the people as herein provided, shall take effect and become a part of the constitution if the same shall be approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon and not otherwise. Every amendment shall take effect thirty days after the election at which it is approved. The total number of votes cast for governor at the regular election last preceding the filing of any petition proposing an amendment to the constitution, shall be the basis upon which the number of legal voters necessary to sign such a petition shall be computed. The secretary of state shall submit all proposed amendments to the constitution initiated by the people for the adoption or rejection in compliance herewith. The petition shall consist of sheets in such form and having printed or written at the top thereof such heading as shall be designated or prescribed by the Secretary of State. Such petition shall be signed by qualified voters in person only, with the residence address of such persons and the date of signing the same. To each of such petitions, which may consist of one or more sheets, shall be attached the affidavit of the elector circulating the same, stating that each signature thereto is the genuine signature of the person signing the same, and that to the best knowledge and belief of the affiant each person signing the petition was at the time of signing a qualified elector. Such petition so verified shall be prima facie evidence that the signatures thereon are genuine, and that the persons signing the same are qualified electors. The text of all amendments to be submitted shall be published as constitutional amendments are now required to be published. (Amendment ratified at April election, 1913). Sec. 3. All proposed amendments to the constitution submitted to the electors shall be published in full, with any existing provisions of the constitution which would be altered or abrogated thereby, and a copy thereof shall be posted at each registration and election place. Proposed amendments shall also be printed together with any other special questions to be submitted at such election in full on a single ballot separate from the ballot containing the names of the candidates or nominees for public office. (Amendment ratified at November election, 1918). Sec. 4. At the general election to be held in the year nineteen hundred twenty-six, in each sixteenth year thereafter and at such other times as may be provided by law, the question of a general revision of the constitution shall be submitted to the electors qualified to vote for members of the legislature. In case a majority of such electors voting at such election shall decide in favor of a convention for such purpose, at the next biennial spring election the electors of each senatorial district of the state as then organized shall elect three delegates. The delegates so elected shall convene at the state capitol on the first Tuesday in September next succeeding such election, and shall continue their sessions until the business of the convention shall be completed. A majority of the delegates elected shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The convention shall choose. its own officers, determine the rules of its proceedings and judge of the qualifications, elections and returns of its members. In case of a vacancy by death, resignation or otherwise, of any delegate, such vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the governor of a qualified resident of the same district. The convention shall have power to appoint such officers, employes. and assistants as it may deem necessary and to fix their compensation, and to provide for the printing and distribution of its documents, journals and proceedings. Each delegate shall receive for his services the sum of one thousand dollars and the same mileage as shall then be payable to members of the legislature, but such compensation may be increased by law. No proposed constitution or amendment adopted by such convention shall be submitted to the electors for approval as hereinafter provided. unless by the assent of a majority of all the delegates elected to the convention, the yeas and nays being entered on the journal. Any proposed constitution or amendments adopted by such convention shall be submitted to the qualified electors in the manner provided by such convention on the first Monday in April following the final adjourn ment of the convention; but, in case an interval of at least ninety days shall not intervene between such final adjournment and the date of such election, then it shall be submitted at the next general election. Upon the approval of such constitution or amendments by a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon such constitution or amendments shall take effect on the first day of January following the approval thereof. |