By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – A group that wants to hold a constitutional convention and rewrite Alabama's constitution will kick off a year-long petition drive at the polls on Election Day. Volunteers across the state hope to collect 50 thousand signatures on November second alone. Fairhope attorney Catherine Golden is chairing the Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform's initiative. She says the group wants to take advantage of voter turnout. The organization has been trying to educate Alabamaians for about four years on what it says are serious flaws in the state's constitution. At more than 315 thousand words, Alabama's governing document also has more than 700 amendments. Critics say restrictions require the frequent amendments that often pertain to only one locality. They also say the constitution denies power to county governments and favors special interests by centralizing power in Montgomery.