Wisconsin's November 2026 Ballot Measure to Ban DEI in Public Universities
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 04, 2026 • US Higher Ed News & Policy
Wisconsin voters decide on November 3, 2026, whether to amend the state constitution to ban DEI initiatives across all government entities, including the University of Wisconsin System.
📩 The amendment would add a new Section 27 to Article I of the Wisconsin Constitution.
🏠 It bans preferential treatment or discrimination based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, education, contracting, and administration.
🎓 The legislature passed the measure in two consecutive sessions, first in 2023-24 and again in January 2026, clearing it for the ballot.
⏱️ The state Senate approved the amendment 18-15 in January 2026.
What is on the November 2026 ballot
Wisconsin voters will decide the Prohibit Government Discrimination or Preferential Treatment Amendment on November 3, 2026. The measure would add a new Section 27 to Article I of the state constitution, and it applies to every governmental entity in Wisconsin, including the University of Wisconsin System, according to Ballotpedia .
What the amendment prohibits
The proposed constitutional language bans any governmental entity from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to a person or group based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. That ban covers public employment, public education, public contracting, and public administration, which puts UW System hiring, campus programming, and DEI initiatives directly in scope.
How the amendment got to the ballot
Wisconsin requires a proposed constitutional amendment to pass the legislature in two separate, consecutive sessions before voters see it. Lawmakers first approved this measure during the 2023-24 session. The state Senate gave its second approval on an 18-15 vote in January 2026, and the measure moved on to the November ballot.
What it would mean for UW System campuses
If voters approve the amendment, UW System campuses would need to review any hiring, admissions-adjacent, financial aid, or programming decision that factors in race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin, since a constitutional ban sits above ordinary state law and is harder to reverse through future legislation.
Supporters say the amendment guarantees equal treatment for every applicant and employee. Opponents say it would eliminate targeted outreach and support programs that help first-generation and underrepresented students reach and stay in college.
What to watch before November
Watch UW System's public statements and your specific campus's student support offices between now and the election, since some programs are already adjusting in anticipation of a possible yes vote. If you rely on an identity-based scholarship, mentoring program, or cultural center at a UW campus, confirm directly with that office whether its funding depends on state or university policy the amendment could affect.