Section 5

A. Petitions for Amendments

The People of the United States shall have the Right to propose amendments to this Charter through public petition.

To qualify for consideration, a petition must contain valid signatures from at least three and one-half percent (3.5%) of the national population, as measured by the most recent decennial census. Signatories must reside within the United States, but Citizenship is not required.

Petitions must obtain the required number of valid signatures within three hundred sixty-five (365) days after filing a notice of intent with the Federal Elections Commission.

If the petition is certified, it shall proceed to a national ratification vote during the next federal election, unless that election occurs within one hundred eighty (180) days of certification. In that case, the vote shall occur during the following federal election. Only Citizens may vote on Charter amendments. Ratification requires the approval of at least three-fourths (3/4) of those Citizens voting on the question.

The Federal Elections Commission shall verify the validity of petition signatures.

The full text of the proposed amendment must appear on the petition circulated for signatures.

If a petition fails to be ratified, it may be resubmitted.

No petition may propose amendments that violate or override any non-amendable provisions of this Charter.

Legal challenges may be filed concerning petition certification or the process. The courts may not block or remove a petition solely because it seeks to alter or eliminate a fundamental Right protected by this Charter.