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Ohio's First Constitution
Ohio's first constitution contained over 6,000 words. For five decades this version of the constitution remained in effect and was never once amended. This constitution had 8 articles and 106 sections. -
Ohio's Second Constitution
Ohio's second constitution was over 9,000 words which is 50% longer than Ohio's first constitution. Overall most Ohio citizens approved of this Constitution and agreed on its length and content. It contained 16 articles and 168 sections. -
The 1874 Constitutional Convention
During the constitutional convention in 1874, Ohio voted on whether or not to adopt its third constitution. It ultimately faild because it contained over 15,000 words. Voters argued that it was "overly complex" and "contained too much legislation. -
Constitutional Growth
Over 6,000 words were added to the constitution between 1910 and 1920, making it the largest amount of words added before the 21st century. Approximately 6,052 words and 40 amendments were added to the Constitution. This growth in the Constitution was mostly due to the 1912 Constitutional convention. -
The 1912 constitutional convention
Instead of replacing the Constitution completely, the 1912 constitutional convention drafted a series of amendments. During this 34 amendments were adopted, which added nearly 7,000 words to the constitution. -
More Growth in the Constitution
Between 2000 and 2010, over 12,000 words were added to Ohio's constitution despite the addition of only 10 amendments -
Todays Constitution
Today the constitution is made of 18 articles, 224 sections, and 53,421 words. This is about 8.5 times longer than the 1802 constitution. It is also the tenth longest state Constitution in the U.S. Many legislators and other state government officials have criticized the Ohio Constitution saying it is excessive and overly detailed.
