▁elect ive ▁offices . ▁ ▁The ▁constitution ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 1 ▁extended ▁voting ▁rights ▁to ▁foreign - born ▁men ▁who ▁had ▁imm igr ated ▁to ▁Indiana . ▁To ▁vote ▁in ▁Indiana ▁under ▁the ▁previous ▁constitution , ▁foreign - born ▁men ▁had ▁to ▁become ▁natural ized ▁U . S . ▁citizens , ▁which ▁required ▁a ▁five - year ▁res iden cy ▁requirement . ▁Under ▁the ▁new ▁constitution , ▁al iens ▁were ▁granted ▁suff rage ▁if ▁foreign - born ▁men ▁had ▁reached ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 1 , ▁stated ▁their ▁intention ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁natural ized ▁citiz en , ▁and ▁had ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁for ▁a ▁year ▁and ▁in ▁Indiana ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁six ▁months . ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁constitution ▁made ▁a ▁strong ▁commit ment ▁to ▁public ▁school ▁education , ▁, ▁especially ▁elementary ▁schools ▁( common ▁schools ), ▁by ▁mand ating ▁a ▁" uniform ▁system ▁of ▁common ▁schools , ▁equally ▁open ▁to ▁all ▁and ▁free ▁of ▁tu ition ." ▁The ▁constitution ▁also ▁required ▁the ▁state ▁government ▁to ▁ade qu ately ▁fund ▁local ▁elementary ▁schools , ▁while ▁providing ▁for ▁bo ards ▁of ▁local ▁residents ▁to ▁manage ▁the ▁funds ▁and ▁the ▁schools . ▁Constitution al ▁changes ▁also ▁created ▁a ▁new ▁elected ▁office , ▁the ▁state ▁super int endent ▁of ▁public ▁instruction , ▁and ▁gave ▁the ▁state ▁some ▁authority ▁in ▁setting ▁curr icul um . ▁During ▁the ▁convention , ▁deleg ates ▁also ▁considered ▁abol ishing ▁the ▁" State ▁University " ▁and ▁county ▁sem in aries . ▁Although ▁efforts ▁to ▁abol ish ▁the ▁university