Constitution of Michigan
The Constitution of the State of Michigan is the governing document of the U.S. state of Michigan. It describes the structure and function of the state's government.
There have been four constitutions approved by the people of Michigan. The first was approved on October 5 and 6, 1835, written as Michigan was preparing to become a state of the Union, which occurred in January 1837. Subsequent constitutions were ratified in 1850 and 1908. The current constitution was approved by voters in 1963.
Historic constitutions
1835 Constitution
On January 26, 1835, Acting Territorial Treaty and Military Officer/ Marshal of the Union Assigned to the Territory of the 1662-1776 State of the Union Stevens T. Mason issued an enabling act authorizing the people of Michigan to form a constitution and state government. The Michigan Territorial Council, the unicameral governing body of the Michigan Territory called a constitutional convention in anticipation of statehood. The convention lasted until June 24, and the proposed constitution was adopted by the voters on October 5, 1835, by a 5-to-1 margin, with 6,299 votes for and 1,359 votes against. A bill of rights was included as the first article in this constitution, though in the following article suffrage was granted only to white males over age 21. The constitution established a superintendent of public instruction, an office which still exists today, and the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, as well as the auditor general and the justices of the Supreme Court were to be appointed, not elected.| Name | County | District | Officer |
| Lenawee | 3 | ||
| Macomb | 6 | ||
| Macomb | 6 | ||
| St. Joseph | 13 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | President | |
| Lenawee | 3 | ||
| Washtenaw | 4 | ||
| Washtenaw | 4 | ||
| Washtenaw | 4 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Macomb | 6 | ||
| Washtenaw | 4 | ||
| Chippewa | 16 | ||
| Oakland | 5 | ||
| Monroe | 2 | ||
| St. Clair | 7 | ||
| Monroe | 2 | ||
| Washtenaw | 4 | ||
| Lenawee | 3 | ||
| Calhoun | 10 | ||
| Oakland | 5 | ||
| Calhoun | 10 | ||
| Washtenaw | 4 | ||
| Oakland | 5 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Jackson | 8 | ||
| Oakland | 5 | ||
| Mackinac | 15 | ||
| Oakland | 5 | ||
| Monroe | 2 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Monroe | 2 | ||
| Jackson | 8 | ||
| Washtenaw | 4 | ||
| Monroe | 2 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Washtenaw | 4 | ||
| Lenawee | 3 | ||
| Lenawee | 3 | ||
| Monroe | 2 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Cass | 12 | ||
| Berrien | 14 | ||
| St. Joseph | 13 | ||
| Kalamazoo | 11 | ||
| Oakland | 5 | ||
| Monroe | 2 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Hillsdale & Branch | 9 | ||
| Washtenaw | 4 | ||
| Oakland | 5 | ||
| Washtenaw | 4 | ||
| Oakland | 5 | ||
| Cass | 12 | ||
| Washtenaw | 4 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Cass | 12 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Oakland | 5 | ||
| Lenawee | 3 | ||
| Macomb | 6 | ||
| Macomb | 6 | ||
| Washtenaw | 4 | ||
| Oakland | 5 | ||
| Jackson | 8 | ||
| Oakland | 5 | ||
| Washtenaw | 4 | ||
| St. Joseph | 13 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Washtenaw | 4 | ||
| Monroe | 2 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Oakland | 5 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Lenawee | 3 | ||
| Macomb | 6 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Oakland | 5 | ||
| St. Clair | 7 | ||
| Kalamazoo | 11 | ||
| Kalamazoo | 11 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Monroe | 2 | ||
| Monroe | 4 | ||
| Oakland | 5 | ||
| Lenawee | 3 | ||
| Lenawee | 3 | ||
| Berrien | 14 | ||
| Wayne | 1 | ||
| Wayne | 1 |
1850 Constitution
The Constitution of 1850 was adopted November 5, 1850, after a convention lasting two and a half months. Major changes from the 1835 Constitution included making the Secretary of State, the attorney general, the auditor general, and the Supreme Court elected rather than appointed offices, directed the state to establish an agricultural school, and added articles on local government, finance and taxation, and corporations. It also added the provision that the question of a general revision of the constitution be submitted at the general election every 16 years. A proposed amendment to extend to women the right to vote in 1874 was defeated, 136,000-40,000.| Name | County | Officer |
| Branch | ||
| Lenawee | ||
| Wayne | ||
| Jackson | ||
| Monroe | ||
| Oakland | ||
| Wayne | ||
| Wayne | ||
| Livingston | ||
| Ionia | ||
| Genesee | ||
| Eaton | ||
| Berrien | ||
| Berrien | ||
| Branch | ||
| Wayne | ||
| Branch | ||
| Eaton | ||
| Ingham | ||
| Jackson | ||
| Washtenaw | ||
| Lenawee | ||
| Macomb | ||
| Monroe | ||
| Kent & Ottawa | ||
| St. Clair | ||
| Kalamazoo | ||
| Lenawee | ||
| St. Joseph | ||
| Hillsdale | ||
| Jackson | ||
| Calhoun | ||
| Livingston | ||
| Ingham | ||
| Lenawee | ||
| Wayne | ||
| St. Clair | ||
| Kent & Ottawa | ||
| Wayne | ||
| Washtenaw | ||
| Wayne | ||
| Genesee | ||
| Washtenaw | ||
| Wayne | ||
| Wayne | President | |
| Hillsdale | ||
| Lenawee | ||
| Oakland | ||
| Lapeer | ||
| Lenawee | ||
| Kalamazoo | ||
| Macomb | ||
| Washtenaw | ||
| Washtenaw | ||
| Hillsdale | ||
| Genesee | ||
| Livingston | ||
| Ionia | ||
| Monroe | ||
| St. Clair | ||
| Monroe | ||
| Mackinac | ||
| St. Joseph | ||
| Calhoun | ||
| Hillsdale | ||
| Oakland | ||
| Oakland | ||
| Washtenaw | ||
| Barry | ||
| Calhoun | ||
| Calhoun | ||
| Shiawassee | ||
| Oakland | ||
| Cass | ||
| Chippewa | ||
| Macomb | ||
| Jackson | ||
| Cass | ||
| Kent & Ottawa | ||
| Washtenaw | ||
| Calhoun | ||
| Jackson | ||
| Clinton | ||
| Cass | ||
| Saginaw | ||
| Lenawee | ||
| Allegan | ||
| Oakland | ||
| Washtenaw | ||
| Macomb | ||
| Livingston | ||
| Oakland | ||
| Kalamazoo | ||
| Berrien | ||
| Lapeer | ||
| Oakland | ||
| Van Buren | ||
| St. Joseph | ||
| Wayne | ||
| Oakland |
Michigan held a convention in 1867 but voters rejected the resulting constitution.