Measure One puts amendment threshold before voters

What voters will decide

North Dakota voters will decide in November whether to approve Measure One, a proposal governing how much support is needed to amend the state constitution. The measure will appear as a yes-or-no choice.

Its subject is the approval requirement for constitutional changes. It is a policy decision rather than a choice among candidates or a vote to fill a public office.

A yes vote supports Measure One and the amendment rule it proposes. A no vote rejects Measure One. The result will determine whether the proposal receives voter approval, making the meaning of each option central to the ballot decision.

What the question means

Measure One concerns the process for changing the state constitution. In this context, the required level of support means how many votes must favor a constitutional amendment before it can be approved.

Voters can approach the measure by focusing on one question: What level of support should be required to approve a change to the constitution? Because the ballot offers only yes and no, voters will need to match their preference on that requirement with the effect of each response.

What happens next

Measure One will be decided during the November vote. The ballot text will identify the proposal voters are accepting or rejecting and show the yes-or-no choice.

The measure may appear alongside candidate contests, but it serves a different purpose. Candidate votes choose people for public office; the Measure One vote will decide whether voters approve its proposed rule for constitutional amendments.