Why is it important that the Constitution have an amendment process? There have been 27 amendments to the Constitution, beginning with the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments, ratified December 15, 1791.The authority to amend the Constitution of the United States is derived from Article V of the Constitution. States offer multiple paths for amending their constitutions, which are much easier to change than the federal Constitution. These first 10 changes, or amendments, guarantee specific freedoms and rights; together they are called the Bill of Rights. Notice of the date on which a State ratified a proposed constitutional amendment. For the first time since 2020, Virginia ballots will ask voters to decide on a constitutional amendment change with a "yes" and "no" choice. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were passed in 1789. Below is the original text of the twenty-seven amendments to the Constitution. For the first time since 2020, Virginia ballots will ask voters to decide on a constitutional amendment change with a "yes" and "no" choice.