California Constitution, Article XVIII: Amending and Revising the Constitution

Unofficial summary Describes how the California Constitution can be amended or revised.

Text: California State Senate, "Constitutions of California and the United States" (2025-26 edition, PDF), As last amended November 5, 2024 (per the source publication). Official PDF · leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Automatically extracted; check the official source before relying on any wording.

Jump to a section (6 in this article)
  1. Sec. 1
  2. Sec. 1 By Legislature
  3. Sec. 2
  4. Sec. 2 Constitutional Convention
  5. Sec. 3 Initiatives
  6. Sec. 4 Effective Date—Conflict
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Sec. 1

[Repealed November 3, 1970. See Section 1, below.]

Sec. 1 By Legislature

The Legislature by rollcall vote entered in the journal, two-thirds of the membership of each house concurring, may propose an amendment or revision of the Constitution and in the same manner may amend or withdraw its proposal. Each amendment shall be so prepared and submitted that it can be voted on separately. [New section adopted November 3, 1970.]

Sec. 2

[Repealed November 3, 1970. See Section 2, below.]

Sec. 2 Constitutional Convention

The Legislature by rollcall vote entered in the journal, two-thirds of the membership of each house concurring, may submit at a general election the question whether to call a convention to revise the Constitution. If the majority vote yes on that question, within 6 months the Legislature shall provide for the convention. Delegates to a constitutional convention shall be * New Article XVIII adopted November 3, 1970.

voters elected from districts as nearly equal in population as may be practicable. [New section adopted November 3, 1970.]

Sec. 3 Initiatives

The electors may amend the Constitution by initiative. [New section adopted November 3, 1970.]

Sec. 4 Effective Date—Conflict

A proposed amendment or revision shall be submitted to the electors and, if approved by a majority of votes cast thereon, takes effect on the fifth day after the Secretary of State files the statement of the vote for the election at which the measure is voted on, but the measure may provide that it becomes operative after its effective date. If provisions of two or more measures approved at the same election conflict, the provisions of the measure receiving the highest number of affirmative votes shall prevail. [As amended June 5, 2018.]

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