The Constitution admits of amendment by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of each house of the legislature, followed by an affirmative vote of a majority of the electors vot ing upon the question; or an amendment may be proposed by an initiative petition signed by o% of the total number of electors, and such an amendment is submitted to popular vote at the next election and comes into effect only if it receives a favourable ma jority of the popular vote. Amendments suggested by the legis lature have been frequently adopted, and one, adopted in 1862, provided that the question of a general revision of the Constitu tion shall be submitted to a popular vote once every 16 years and at such other times as might be provided by law. When this ques tion was so submitted for the first time, in 1866, the vote was to revise; but the revision prepared by a convention called for the purpose was rejected at the polls. The revision by the Consti tutional Convention of 1907-08 was adopted by popular vote in 1908. The question of revision was again submitted to the electors in 1926 and was rejected by a vote of 285,252 to 119,491. In its present form the Constitution confers suffrage upon every citizen of the United States who is 21 years of age or over and has re sided in the State six months and in his township or city 20 days immediately preceding an election. At the head of the executive department is the governor, who is elected for two years, and who at the time of his election must be at least 3o years of age and must have been for five years a citizen of the United States, and for the two years immediately preceding a resident of the State. A lieutenant governor, for whom the same qualifications are pre scribed, is elected at the same time for the same term. Under the first Constitution the secretary of State, treasurer, auditor general, attorney general and superintendent of public instruction were all appointed by the governor, but under the present one they are elected for a term of two years. The State highway commissioner is elected for a term of four years. The governor's salary is fixed by the revised Constitution of 1908 at $5,00o a year. The lieu tenant governor succeeds the governor in case of vacancy, and next in order of succession comes the secretary of State. A State administrative board, consisting of the governor and the six elec tive State officials mentioned, was created in 1921.
The legislature, consisting of a senate of 32 members, and a house of representatives of zoo members (ac cording to the Constitution not less than 64 and not more than oo), meets, in regular session, on the first Wednesday in Janu ary in odd-numbered years, at Lansing. Both senators and repre sentatives are elected for a term of two years by single districts, except that a township or city which is entitled by its population to more than one representative elects its representatives on a general ticket. Beginning in 1913 and at each subsequent tenth year, the legislature, under the revised Constitution of 1908, is required to re-arrange the senatorial districts and reapportion the representatives among the counties and districts, using as a basis the returns of the next preceding decennial census; but this obli gation has not been strictly followed. In 193o an amendment to the Constitution for giving fairer representation to the more populous counties was defeated at the polls.
No bill can pass either house except by an affirmative vote of a majority of the members elected to that house, and on its third reading the ayes and noes must be taken and recorded ; for ap propriation bills a two-thirds majority of all members elected to each house is required. All legislation must be by bill, legislation by joint and concurrent resolutions thus being prevented. No bill may be passed at a regular session until it has been printed and in possession of each house for five days; no bill may be passed at a special session on any subject not expressly stated in the gov ernor's proclamation or submitted by special message. The gov ernor has ten days (Sundays not being counted) in which to exercise his veto power (which may be applied to any item or items of any bill making appropriations of money and embracing distinct items), and an affirmative vote in each house of two thirds of the members elected is required to pass a bill over his veto.
The administration of justice is entrusted to a supreme court, a continually increasing number of circuit courts, 40 in 1936, one probate court in each county, and not more than four justices of the peace in each township. The supreme court is composed of one chief justice and seven associate justices, all elected for a term of eight years, two retiring every two years; it holds four sessions annually, exercises a general control over the inferior courts, may issue, hear and determine any of the more important writs, and has appellate jurisdiction only in all other important cases. There is only one circuit court judge for a cir cuit, unless the legislature provides for the election of more ; the term of office is six years. Each county elects a judge of probate for a term of four years; he has original concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit court in matters of probate, and has original jurisdiction in all cases of juvenile delinquents and dependents. The legislature may provide for the election of more than one judge of probate in a county with more than 18o,000 inhabitants. Justices of the peace are elected by the townships for a term of four years—there are not more than four in each township.
For purposes of local government the State is divided into 83 counties, each of which is in turn divided by north and south and east and west lines into townships. The officers of the township are a supervisor, clerk, treasurer, highway commissioner, one overseer of highways for each highway dis trict, justices of the peace and not more than four constables, all of whom are elected at the annual township meeting in April. The supervisor, two of the justices of the peace and the clerk consti tute the township board, whose duty it is to settle claims against the township, audit accounts, and publish annually an itemized statement of receipts and disbursements. The supervisor is also the township assessor, and the several township supervisors con stitute the county board of supervisors who are entrusted with the care and management of the property and business of the county, and may borrow or raise by tax what is necessary to meet the more common expenses of the county. Other county officers are a treasurer, clerk, sheriff, register of deeds, attorney, surveyor and two coroners, each elected for a term of two years, a school commissioner elected for a term of four years, and one or more notaries public appointed by the governor.