Stopping An Article V Convention

Wealthy special interests are pushing for a constitutional convention that could put all of our rights up for grabs. Common Cause is fighting back.

Mega-donors, corporations, and radical far-right actors are pushing calls for an Article V Convention in states across the country to rewrite the U.S. Constitution for their own benefit. Frighteningly, they are just a few states away from succeeding.

Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution, Congress is required to hold a constitutional convention if two-thirds of state legislatures (34 states) call for one. But there is a catch: there are absolutely no rules for an Article V Convention outlined in the Constitution. That means the group of people convening to revise our country’s core legal document could be totally unelected and unaccountable. There is no way to limit the convention to a single issue, so the delegates could write amendments that revoke any of our most cherished rights—like our right to peaceful protest, our freedom of religion, or our right to privacy.

Right now, there are four major campaigns for an Article V Convention, and each has a different set of goals. But together, they have convinced 28 states to call for a convention. That means they have just six states to go—which is why we are stopping an Article V Convention by ramping up our efforts to reject and rescind calls in states nationwide.

What We’re Doing


Article V Campaign

Campaign

Article V Campaign

Wealthy donors, corporations, and radical far-right actors are pushing calls for an Article V Convention in states across the country to reshape our Constitution for their own benefit.

Frighteningly, they are just a few states away from succeeding.
Stopping a Dangerous Article V Convention

Campaign

Stopping a Dangerous Article V Convention

Wealthy special interests are pushing for a constitutional convention that could put everyone in America’s rights up for grabs. It's on us to stop them.

Take Action


REJECT and RESCIND any calls for an Article V Convention

Petition

REJECT and RESCIND any calls for an Article V Convention

We the People will not allow unelected, unaccountable delegates to write their agenda into our Constitution. Our state lawmakers must reject any new Article V Convention calls and rescind any existing calls for a Convention.

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Related Resources

See all Related Resources

Report

Constitutional Chaos The Shadow Campaigns Aiming to Unravel Our Freedom

This report exposes the dangerous efforts by secretive, well-funded special interest groups to push state legislatures around the nation to call for a constitutional convention through a little-known provision in Article V of the U.S. Constitution.

Report

U.S. Constitution Threatened as Article V Convention Movement Nears Success

A Common Cause Background Memo

Position Paper

Coalition Statement Opposing An Article V Convention

Calling a new constitutional convention under Article V of the U.S. Constitution is a threat to every American’s constitutional rights and civil liberties.

Report

The Dangerous Path: Big Money’s Plan to Shred the Constitution

Press

Lincoln Journal Star (Op-Ed): Honoring a compromise

News Clip

Lincoln Journal Star (Op-Ed): Honoring a compromise

If the 2024 session is to be a new leaf as Speaker Arch pleaded, then Sen. Halloran needs to honor his agreement. Any attempts to pass an Article V resolution should be shelved until 2027. Keeping promises and compromises for their full term would indeed be a “model” for other state legislatures.

Public News Service: Voting rights groups call constitutional convention efforts a threat to democracy

News Clip

Public News Service: Voting rights groups call constitutional convention efforts a threat to democracy

Geoff Foster, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, said there are no rules in the Constitution for how to govern a convention and no guarantee, even the First Amendment, would be safe.

"There's great risk and great potential harm to everything already enshrined in our Constitution if we do open up this Pandora's box," Foster cautioned.

Foster pointed out a convention could potentially allow unelected delegates and special-interest groups to enshrine their agenda into a founding document.

Orlando Sentinel/Sun Sentinel (Editorial): The Legislature’s con-con con job

News Clip

Orlando Sentinel/Sun Sentinel (Editorial): The Legislature’s con-con con job

The citizens’ lobby Common Cause calls the nationwide movement for a convention “the most serious threat to our democracy, flying almost completely under the radar.”

What can you do? Sign Common Cause’s online petition opposing an Article V convention. Track how your legislator votes on these bad bills. Then vote against anybody who thinks this is a good idea.

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