Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, the Democratic candidate for governor, and Republican nominee Rick Snyder agree on very little. However, they are unified in their opposition to Proposal 1.

Prop. 1 is a constitutionally mandated measure that appears on the ballot every 16 years and requires Michigan voters to decide whether or not to convene a constitutional convention to rewrite the state’s constitution.

This will be the third time since the state’s constitution was rewritten in 1962 that a proposal for a ConCon has appeared on the ballot. The two previous proposals were handily voted down in 1978 and 1994.

All indications show that this year will be no different.

According to an article in the Detroit News, a poll conducted earlier this month by Mitchell Research and Communications revealed that 44 percent of Michigan voters oppose a constitutional convention, while 25 percent support it. Thirty-one percent of voters were undecided.

In an interview with the Daily, Communications Prof. Michael Traugott said the proposal will likely not pass.

“My suspicion is that this is an issue that involves a lot of inertia and the public will probably conclude that the risks (of having a constitutional convention) outweigh the probable benefits, and therefore it will fail again,” Traugott said.

Bernero said he opposes Prop. 1 for financial reasons. Estimates show that the ConCon could cost the state $45 million and Bernero said the state simply can’t afford that at this time.

“Writing a whole new constitution diverts state leaders' attention from what should be every leaders' top concern right now — creating jobs,” Bernero wrote in an e-mail to the Daily. “Also, a constitutional convention could cost tens of millions of dollars, money the state doesn't have right now."

Snyder, meanwhile, said he believes the ConCon would cause special interest groups to bring up controversial issues that would divide the state at a time when the state should focus its attention on things like the economy and job creation.

“The reality is that special interests from across the country would flood into Michigan and turn the whole convention into a circus at a time when our state, both elected officials and citizens, need to be focused on the immediate economic and government fiscal crisis before us,” Snyder said on his campaign website.

On the other hand, Traugott said, ConCon supporters argue that a constitutional convention would allow the state to address issues with the legislature, the state budget and the economy.

“The people who support this argue, primarily, that the current constitution is outdated,” Traugott said. “We need to have a general revision to update the constitution to be able to deal with contemporary economic issues in particular.”

Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm is one of the main proponents of the ConCon.

Graham Davis, a spokesman for Gov. Granholm, said in a telephone interview that Granholm supports Prop. 1 because she believes the current constitution is outdated.

“Gov. Granholm is supportive of Proposal 1 because she believes the state of Michigan is very different than it was in 1961 and we need a foundational document that reflects the 21st century,” Davis said. “Having a constitutional convention would set the stage for a streamlined government that moves Michigan forward in a comprehensive way.”

If the measure passes, another election will be held within the next six months to elect 148 delegates to the ConCon. One delegate from each state House and Senate district would be elected. Then, after the new document is drafted by the convention, another statewide vote would be held to ratify the new constitution.

Ultimately, nobody knows how long the process of rewriting the constitution would actually take. In 1962, the process took seven months, but according to the Detroit News, some estimate it could take over a year to complete, and ratify, a new constitution.