Wisconsin ballot

Wisconsin voters will decide Question 1, a proposed amendment to Article V, section 10(1)(c) of the state constitution. The Legislature placed it on the ballot after approving it in two consecutive sessions (2023 Enrolled Joint Resolution 16 and 2025 Senate Joint Resolution 116), as the constitution requires. According to the official explanatory statement, a yes vote would prohibit the governor from partially vetoing a spending bill in a way that creates, increases, or authorizes the creation or increase of any tax or fee, including authority for local governments such as school districts to raise their own taxes or fees; a no vote leaves the section unchanged.

A yes vote: Per the official explanatory statement: a yes vote would amend Wis. Const. art. V, sec. 10(1)(c) to prohibit the Governor from partially vetoing a spending bill in a way that would create or increase or authorize the creation or increase of any tax or fee. This would not only prevent a veto from increasing any state taxes or fees, but also prevent a veto from allowing local governments, such as school districts, to increase their own taxes or fees.

A no vote: Per the official explanatory statement: a no vote would not amend Wis. Const. art. V, sec. 10(1)(c). Under current law, the Governor may partially veto language in a spending bill, which may result in more or fewer taxes or fees and may authorize local governments to increase or decrease local taxes or fees.

Wisconsin voters will decide Question 2, a proposed amendment to Article I, section 18 (religious liberty) of the state constitution. The Legislature placed it on the ballot after approving it in two consecutive sessions (2023 Enrolled Joint Resolution 11 and 2025 Assembly Joint Resolution 10). According to the official explanatory statement, a yes vote would prohibit the state and local governments from closing or prohibiting gatherings in places of worship during a state of emergency; a no vote leaves the section unchanged.

A yes vote: Per the official explanatory statement: a yes vote would amend Wis. Const. art. I, sec. 18 to prohibit the state and local governments from closing or prohibiting gatherings in places of worship during a state of emergency, even when other types of public gatherings have been closed.

A no vote: Per the official explanatory statement: a no vote would not amend Wis. Const. art. I, sec. 18. Under current law, in a declared state of emergency officials may limit public gatherings, including religious gatherings, so long as religious and secular gatherings are treated equivalently.

Wisconsin voters will decide Question 3, which would create a new Article I, section 27 of the state constitution. The Legislature placed it on the ballot after approving it in two consecutive sessions (2023 Enrolled Joint Resolution 15 and 2025 Assembly Joint Resolution 102). According to the official explanatory statement, a yes vote would prohibit any governmental entity from discriminating or granting preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, education, contracting, or administration, with exceptions for federal-program eligibility, conflicts with federal law, and sex-based qualifications reasonably necessary to normal operations; a no vote would not add the provision.

A yes vote: Per the official explanatory statement: a yes vote would create a new provision of the Wisconsin Constitution prohibiting any governmental entity from discriminating or granting preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, public contracting, or public administration. The statement says this language appears to impose stricter standards against discrimination than current state and federal law, and notes three exceptions: it does not apply if it would cause the entity to lose eligibility for a federal program or to violate federal law, and the sex-based prohibition does not apply to measures reasonably necessary to the normal operation of public employment, education, contracting, or administration.

A no vote: Per the official explanatory statement: a no vote would not add the provision to the Wisconsin Constitution. Under current law (Wis. Const. art. I, sec. 1 and the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause), governments may not discriminate based on these characteristics except under specific circumstances set by court-developed standards.