As Ted Cruz and Donald Trump battle over the remaining Republican delegates, one thing has become clear in the midst of the madness: most Americans don’t know how the Republican National Convention works.
The same applies to the other side of the aisle, and the confusion is understandable. The rules for delegate selection, voting, and procedure are so complicated it’s tough for the average American to get a handle on how the process operates. To make matters worse, millions of concerned citizens believe the results of the convention will drastically affect the future of our country for generations to come.
Though an Article V Convention of States to amend the U.S. Constitution has never been held, the process is actually quite a bit more accessible.
- State legislatures choose their delegates (page 14).
- The states control the rules and procedures at the convention; Congress does not.
- Every state (no matter the size or how many delegates they send) only gets one vote.
- The convention cannot propose any amendments that fall outside the bounds of the convention’s stated purpose.
- For a constitutional amendment to be officially proposed, it has to receive a majority of the states’ votes.
- Once proposed, amendments do not become part of the Constitution unless ratified by 38 states.
The best part? Unlike a new President, a Convention of States can actually solve the problems facing our nation. A balanced budget amendment, term limits, and a reduction of the size, scope, and jurisdiction of the federal government are all on the table.
