A Ballot Question That Transcends Partisanship 

When Michiganders head to the polls for the 2026 General Election, they will have the opportunity to vote on Proposal 1. It’s a measure that appears on the ballot every 16 years and asks voters whether to convene a Constitutional Convention (Con Con), allowing the state’s governing document to be opened for a total rewrite.  

Republicans and Democrats do not agree on much in Michigan or across the country. Yet organizations from across the political spectrum have found common ground on an important question: Should Michigan open its constitution to a Con Con? 

That is what makes Protect MI Constitution from Special Interests a unique coalition. Its members do not agree on a range of issues and policies, including taxes, education, economic development, and many others. They support different candidates and political parties and hold very different views on the role of government. They are coming together because of the uncertainty and disruption that would come with a Con Con. 

Members of the growing coalition encouraging Michiganders to vote NO on Proposal 1 agree that stability is critical to the success of communities and businesses. Foundations, nonprofits, businesses, and local governments make long-term investments based on the rules we have today. It’s too risky to open up the Michigan Constitution to a total rewrite. A Constitutional Convention would create long-term uncertainty, discouraging investment and making it more difficult for businesses to grow and create jobs. Michigan cannot afford a prolonged period of uncertainty over the fundamental rules of our state.  

Businesses make decisions based on expectations about the future. A company considering a new facility, an expansion, or a major investment must look beyond current conditions. It must consider the regulatory and legal environment in which that investment will operate for years to come. A Constitutional Convention could introduce another layer of uncertainty into those calculations. 

Regulatory consistency is particularly important. Businesses need to understand the rules that apply to them so they can plan, budget, and make informed decisions. The possibility of constitutional changes affecting the structure or authority of state government could add another variable to that planning. 

Michigan is competing with other states for jobs, investment, and economic growth. The business community’s concern is straightforward: the state should be creating confidence for employers, not voluntarily adding uncertainty to an already competitive environment. 

Small businesses are already dealing with rising costs, workforce shortages, regulatory pressures, and an uncertain economy. A large corporation may have attorneys, consultants, and government relations professionals available to monitor a complex statewide process. A small business owner manages employees, serves customers, pays bills, and keeps the business operating. 

For these entrepreneurs, years of constitutional uncertainty and political distraction could mean less time and attention focused on what they need most: growing their businesses, hiring workers, and investing in their communities. 

A Constitutional Convention could create significant uncertainty for Michigan’s education system. It could raise concerns about changes to school funding and education policy in our state that could negatively impact learning. It could also open the door to school voucher proposals that would redirect taxpayer dollars from neighborhood public schools to private schools. That could reduce resources for students in rural, urban, and suburban communities across our state.   

A Con Con could open the door to proposals that weaken neighborhood public schools, creating uncertainty for students, parents, and educators. Our priority should be protecting the schools that educate Michigan’s children rather than creating unnecessary uncertainty about their future. 

Government constitutional stability is also important to those in the skilled trades. Electricians, plumbers, pipefitters, carpenters, laborers, operating engineers, ironworkers, sheet metal workers, and other skilled trades professionals build the physical infrastructure Michigan depends upon. They also build schools and hospitals, roads and manufacturing facilities, energy infrastructure, and communities. 

Skilled trades workers fought for generations to obtain important constitutional protections and rights. Those measures cover working conditions, economic opportunities, and the rights of working families. 

Working families already are managing plenty of uncertainty. They are raising children, building careers, buying homes, and preparing for retirement. They should not have to wonder whether important constitutional protections could be subject to an unpredictable wholesale revision process. 

The existing amendment process offers a more focused alternative. If a particular constitutional provision needs to change, voters can consider that question directly rather than reopening the entire document.

For Michigan’s housing market, uncertainty can affect the largest and most important financial decisions. Those transactions already involve substantial uncertainty. Interest rates, home prices, construction costs, and economic conditions can change quickly. A Constitutional Convention could add another dimension of uncertainty, particularly around property rights and governmental authority. 

Michigan’s Constitution has important provisions for properties. A Con Con could make significant changes to the rules governing property rights, taxation, land use, or the authority of state and local governments. 

For homeowners and buyers, constitutional uncertainty can complicate an already difficult decision. For builders and developers, it can make long-term projects harder to evaluate. For communities, changes involving land use, zoning, construction, or property taxes could have significant implications. 

A family is more likely to purchase a home when they have confidence in their financial future. A developer is more likely to undertake a project when the regulatory environment is predictable. A community is better positioned to plan for growth when it understands the rules governing development. The concern from the real estate community is that a lengthy constitutional process could undermine some of that predictability at precisely the time Michigan needs more housing and continued investment in communities. 

The strength of Protect MI Constitution from special interests lies in its members’ ability to find common ground despite their differences. That unity is especially meaningful in a political environment where nearly every issue is framed as a battle between opposing parties or ideologies. 

Michiganders can disagree about who should control the legislature. They can vote for different candidates and support completely different approaches to government. And they can still agree that changing the constitution deserves exceptional care. 

Michigan’s constitution belongs to all of us. Before opening it to a complete rewrite, voters should consider not only what might be changed, but what the uncertainty and disruption of the process could mean for the people who live, work, build, teach, invest, and raise their families here. That’s why it is so important to vote NO on Proposal 1 on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot.