Home Government Elections Poll: Support for rejection of R.I. constitutional convention grows

Poll: Support for rejection of R.I. constitutional convention grows

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PBN Staff

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11/04/2024

R.I. Statehouse — RHODE ISLAND voters are likely to reject a constitutional convention, according to a new University of New Hampshire poll released Monday. Pictured is the R.I. Statehouse. / PBN FILE PHOTO/WILLIAM HAMILTON

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island voters are likely to reject a constitutional convention, according to a new University of New Hampshire poll released Monday. The Ocean State Poll found that of 753 likely voters surveyed between Oct. 29 and Nov. 2, 47% said they would vote no on Question 1 Tuesday, an increase from the 28%

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PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island voters are likely to reject a constitutional convention, according to a new University of New Hampshire poll released Monday. The Ocean State Poll found that of 753 likely voters surveyed between Oct. 29 and Nov. 2, 47% said they would vote no on Question 1 Tuesday, an increase from the 28% in September that were not in favor. Of those surveyed, 34% said they would vote yes, compared with 39% in September. Along party lines of those surveyed, 51% of Democrats, 48% of independent voters and 40% of Republicans plan to vote no on Question 1. The poll has a 3.7% margin of error. Question 1 asks if the Ocean State should hold a constitutional convention – a question voters are asked every 10 years under the state constitution. The convention opens the door to amending the document that forms the basis of the state’s supreme law. Rhode Island is one of just five states in the U.S. to uphold the possibility of the gathering to consider amendments to its constitution, and it hasn’t held such a meeting since 1986. Since that time, no other state has held a constitutional convention, either. A coalition of dozens of organizations, which includes American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island Inc. and Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, has endorsed a “no campaign.” Proponents of the “Reject Question 1” campaign say that holding the convention provides wealthy, out-of-state interest groups with an opportunity to alter Rhode Island law in a manner that threatens values such as abortion access and civil rights – issues that they say are particularly sensitive given the current political atmosphere and U.S. Supreme Court decisions such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which had previously established a nationwide right to abortions. The state’s Republican party and its leadership, meanwhile, have largely organized in favor of the convention, arguing that it allows the average Rhode Islander to have a greater say in state politics. Proponents of the gathering also say that the opposition has overstated the risk of outside interests interfering in Rhode Island politics. The UNH poll also found that 56% of those surveyed back Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse for U.S. Senate over Republican challenger State Rep. Patricia L. Morgan, who had 40% support of those polled. In the presidential election, 54% of those who were polled back Democratic nominee Kamala Harris compared with 40% who were in favor of Republican former President Donald Trump.