# What's needed to convene a constitutional convention in California? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 30, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-needed-to-convene-a-constitutional-convention-in-california/504808 "2009-07-30T20:55:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-needed-to-convene-a-constitutional-convention-in-california/504808/1 "2009-07-30T20:55:04Z")
What needs to happen for a constitutional convention to be held in California? Can a ballot initiative be used to call one or does the legislature need vote on it? I presume replacing the current constitution with an entirely new one would count as a revision, not an amendment. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-needed-to-convene-a-constitutional-convention-in-california/504808/2 "2009-07-30T21:06:45Z")
> [@](#): > > CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION > ARTICLE 18 AMENDING AND REVISING THE CONSTITUTION > > SEC. 2. 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 voters elected from > districts as nearly equal in population as may be practicable. I see no provision allowing citizens to bypass the legislature and initiate the convention themselves.