MO: 1996 Referendum General Election Result

[RBH]

New Election: 1996 Missouri Referendum General Election Results
   
   

Amendment 9: "Shall Article VIII of the Missouri Constitution be amended to provide that Missourians intend this initiative lead to adoption of an amendment to the United States Constitution establishing Congressional term limits and further amend Article VIII to provide the Secretary of State shall determine and inform voters on election ballots whether candidates for Congress support Congressional term limits by printing adjacent to incumbent candidates who failed to support Congressional term limits "DISREGARDED VOTERS' INSTRUCTION ON TERM LIMITS" and printing adjacent to non-incumbent candidates who refuse to take a term limits pledge "DECLINED TO PLEDGE TO SUPPORT TERM LIMITS?""



And this was struck down as unconstitutional.

[RBH]

Term Limits in Nebraska



Passed 56-44

[Gabu]

What is with these attempts to inform voters on the ballot which politicians didn't support term limits?  I know this also was tried in Montana, too.

[jimrtex]

What is with these attempts to inform voters on the ballot which politicians didn't support term limits?  I know this also was tried in Montana, too.

State-imposed term limits on federal representatives and senators violate the US Constitution.  The ballot labelling laws were an attempt to circumvent this limitation.  The states argued that this was no different than provisions in state law that permitted a candidate for Congress to be designated by political party on the ballot (eg it was only information).  But since there wasn't other information included on the ballot, and the clear intent was to get around the constitutional limitation, it has been ruled that it was equivalent to imposing a qualification.