The Referendums
On June 3, 1948, the first of two Newfoundland referendums was held on the advice of the Convention. Voters had three options:
- A return to dominion status
- Commission of Government, the status quo
- Confederation with Canada
| Votes | Perc. | |
|---|---|---|
| Dominion Status | 69,400 | 44.6% |
| Confederation | 64,066 | 41.1% |
| Commission | 22,311 | 14.3% |
The option for responsible government (Dominion status) won a plurality, but not an absolute majority. The Governor and Commissioners called for a second National Referendum, one between Confederation and Dominion status. Anti-Confederates wanted the second National Referendum options limited to "Responsible Government" and "Commission of Government", believing that if Responsible Government won, it would be in a position to negotiate better terms with Canada.
On July 22, 1948 A second National Referendum was held. In the second referendum only two options appeared:
- Dominion status
- Confederation
| Votes | Perc. | |
|---|---|---|
| Confederation | 78,323 | 52.3% |
| Dominion status | 71,334 | 47.7% |
The Confederation option won, and Newfoundland became Canada's tenth province the following year.
Read more about this topic: Newfoundland National Convention