Representation for All (Missouri)
A brief overview of "Representation for All"
The vast majority of Missourians (and Americans) agree with the "self-evident" truth, expressed in the Declaration of Independence, that governments derive their "just powers" from the "consent of the governed". The best way to obtain that consent in a representative democracy is to allow every citizen who is governed by the laws passed by a "Representative Assembly" to submit a proxy designating one member of each such assembly as their representative and then give legislators weighted votes based on the number of voters they represent. (A proxy is “the authority to represent someone else, especially in voting.”)
The simplest way to determine the value of each legislator's weighted vote is to divide the number of proxies held by each legislator by the number of proxies held by the member of each legislative body with the fewest proxies. This would give the member with the lowest number of proxies a weighted vote with a value of 1.00 and other members weighted votes with a value greater than 1.00.
If most citizens take advantage of the opportunity to be represented by legislators who "think, feel, reason, and act" like they do (and therefore vote like they would), giving legislators weighted votes based on the number of proxies they hold will ensure that "equal interests among the People" will have "equal interests" in each "Representative Body" and that a legislative body will be "an exact Portrait, in Miniature, of the People at large".
The details of the proposal in Missouri
Missouri is one of eighteen states that gives its citizens the power to propose and pass amendments to the state Constitution without the involvement or approval of the state legislature or the governor through the initiative process - a powerful form of direct democracy that involves gathering signatures on petitions to place a proposal on the ballot.
Article I, Section 1 of the Missouri Constitution says, "That all political power is vested in and derived from the people; that all government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole." A petition proposing an amendment to the Missouri Constitution to implement "Representation for All" in both houses of Missouri's General Assembly has been approved for circulation by the Secretary of State's office in Missouri. The ballot language of petitions in Missouri is stated in the form of a question posed to voters. The ballot language of this petition is:
Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to provide that:
- all eligible voters may submit a proxy form to one member of the house of representatives and one senator naming them as their designated representative;
- allow each senator and representative to have weighted votes on all matters that come before the general assembly based on the number of proxies, with the exception to override a governor’s veto; and
- voters may submit a new proxy form designating a different representative and/or senator as their representative(s) at any time but no more than once in any calendar year for each office?
If the required number of signatures are gathered before May 8, 2022, this proposal will be on the ballot in Missouri on November 8, 2022. If approved by voters, Representation for All will take effect on December 8, 2022.
The text of the petition
Be it resolved by the people of the state of Missouri that the Constitution be amended:
Article I of the Constitution is revised by amending Section 1 to read as follows:
Section 1. (a) That all political power is vested in and derived from the people; that all government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole.
(b) To ensure that the General Assembly of the State of Missouri reflects the will of the people as accurately as possible, every citizen of the state of Missouri who is eligible to vote may submit a proxy form to one member of the house of representatives and one senator naming them as their designated representatives.
(c) Each citizen who is eligible to vote may submit a new proxy form designating a different representative and/or senator as their representative(s) at any time, but no more than once in any calendar year for each office.
(d) With the exception of votes taken to override a governor’s veto, for which each member will cast a single non-weighted vote, senators and representatives shall have weighted votes on all matters that come before the General Assembly, including votes in senate and house committees, based on the number of proxies they hold from citizens of the state of Missouri.
(e) The value of each representative’s weighted vote, rounded to the nearest hundredth of a full vote, shall be determined by dividing the number of proxies held by each representative by the number of proxies held by the representative with the lowest number of proxies.
(f) The value of each senator’s weighted vote, rounded to the nearest hundredth of a full vote, shall be determined by dividing the number of proxies held by each senator by the number of proxies held by the senator with the lowest number of proxies.
(g) The Secretary of State shall design a proxy form, a form for voters to use to change their proxies, and a form for citizens to submit cancelling their proxies if they move out of the state or are no longer eligible to vote, and make those forms available to citizens of the state of Missouri.
(h) The General Assembly shall pass appropriate legislation implementing a secure system for the transmission and recording of proxies and providing penalties for forging or falsifying proxies.
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