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The reason that Congress opted for ratification via state ratifying conventions to repeal Prohibition was because the bootlegging industry had its tentacles into state, county and local governments at all levels. Congress feared that state legislatures wouldn't ratify within the seven year window because envelopes of cash delivered to state legislators by gangsters would wreck the process.

So Congress told the voters of the states to elect ratifying conventions. The model followed by most states was to elect one delegate from each district of the lower house of that state's legislature. Delegates would run pledged to vote to ratify or not ratify. When the ratifying convention met, there was a brief debate and then an up-or-down vote to ratify. Once the vote was tabulated, the delegates went home.