How to Call a Convention
Article V of the Constitution gives the states the power to call for a Constitutional Convention. To do so, two-thirds of the states—34 out of 50 state legislatures—must pass an application calling for a Convention. If enough states pass this simple resolution, then Congress must call a Convention so that states can propose amendments to the Constitution.
The application states must pass does not need to provide a reason for the Convention—states can call a Convention for any reason. However, there is no guarantee the Convention will address the complaints of the states, as delegates at the Convention may introduece and pass whatever Amendments they see fit. (States may try to remedy this by electing their delegates to the Convention.)
Any amendments that come out of the convention have to be ratified by the legislatures of, or by conventions in, at least three-quarters of the states to become part of the Constitution of the United States.
Draft Resolution: Application by the Legislature
We've developed a draft Application that we'll be asking state after state to ratify in the coming months. It requests that Congress call a Convention, and requires that delegates to the Convention include neither current nor future politicians. As we've stated, there is no guarantee a Constitutional Convention will result in the campaign finance reform Amendment, and if we're going to fix Washington, we need citizens, not professional politicians, to lead the charge.
Pursuant to Article V of the United States Constitution, the state of ____, speaking through its Legislature, hereby petitions the United States Congress to call a new constitutional convention to consider the adequacy of our present Constitution, including interpretations of the Constitution by the Supreme Court, to the needs of our own time.
The state of _____, speaking through its Legislature, further requests that Congress, in setting membership requirements for delegates to such a convention, explicitly exclude from eligibility current Members of Congress.
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