Voters will be asked whether to amend Article I, Section 18 of the Wisconsin Constitution on Wisconsin's November 3, 2026 general election ballot which protects religious freedom and bars religious preferences.

The proposed amendment will prohibit the government from closing or forbidding gatherings in places of worship in response to an emergency. 

According to the State Democracy Research Initiative, University of Wisconsin Law School, legislators were motivated to introduce this amendment in response to restrictions placed on churches and other places of worship during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Wisconsin is not alone in considering changes to state law to protect places of worship from closure or other restrictions. This proposed amendment appears to go further than many other states by providing greater protections during emergencies for places of worship than other essential locations.