Milwaukee voters head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, to decide three statewide constitutional amendments that would reshape the governor's veto power, protect worship gatherings during emergencies and potentially ban government affirmative action programs.

All three questions were placed on the ballot by the Republican-led Legislature, according to WUWM. Each requires approval by a majority of voters to take effect. The governor cannot veto a constitutional amendment.

Polls close at 8 p.m. Central time. Unofficial results from Milwaukee County will be posted to the county clerk's election night website. Milwaukee County has 521 wards and 510,277 registered voters, according to that page.

No results are available yet. All totals reported on election night are unofficial. Results are not official until certified at the local, county and state level, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Question 1: Partial veto

The ballot asks whether the governor should be prohibited from using the partial veto to create or increase any tax or fee.

A "yes" vote would bar future governors from using partial vetoes to raise taxes or fees. A "no" vote would leave the current veto power intact, according to WUWM.

Republicans pursued this amendment after Gov. Tony Evers used a partial veto in 2023 to extend school district revenue-limit increases for roughly 400 years. Passing the amendment would not automatically undo that veto, the Journal Sentinel reported in a separate explainer. Democrats have defended the veto power, arguing the Legislature did not approve enough funding for K-12 schools.

Wisconsin governors hold the most expansive veto powers in the country, and both parties have used the partial veto historically, Wisconsin Public Radio reported.

Question 2: Worship gatherings during emergencies

This question asks whether the state or local government should be banned from ordering the closure of, or forbidding gatherings in, places of worship during a declared emergency, including a public health emergency.

A "yes" vote would prohibit government from closing churches, mosques, synagogues and other worship sites during emergencies, even if businesses and schools are ordered closed. A "no" vote would leave the government's authority to restrict worship gatherings unchanged, according to WUWM.

The question stems from COVID-19 public health orders in early 2020, when the Evers administration limited gatherings, including at churches, to no more than 10 people. The Wisconsin Supreme Court later struck down those orders, the Journal Sentinel reported.

Legal analysts at the UW Law School's State Democracy Research Initiative noted the amendment's language leaves ambiguity about whether neutral capacity restrictions could still apply to worship sites, WPR reported.

Question 3: Government discrimination prohibited

The ballot asks whether a new section of the constitution should prohibit government entities from discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to, any individual or group based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in public employment, education, contracting or administration.

A "yes" vote would add that prohibition to the constitution. Supporters, including the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), say it would ban affirmative action and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in government. A "no" vote would leave current law in place.

WILL Deputy Counsel Dan Lennington said in a news release that the amendment "would establish a clear constitutional rule that state and local governments cannot discriminate or grant preferential treatment based on race, sex, ethnicity or national origin," the Journal Sentinel reported.

Opponents, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, call it an "Anti-Equity Amendment." They say the wording may mislead voters into thinking state law does not already include anti-discrimination protections, the Journal Sentinel reported.

Programs that could be affected include UW-Madison scholarships that consider race, Milwaukee's Office of African American Affairs and Wisconsin's Supplier Diversity Program, according to the Journal Sentinel. Legal experts say passage could spark lawsuits.

When to expect results

Milwaukee's central count operation processes tens of thousands of absentee ballots starting at 7 a.m. on Election Day. Those results often are not ready until hours after polls close, the Journal Sentinel reported. City election executive director Gutiérrez anticipated the process taking until about 1 a.m. on Nov. 4, though that estimate could shift depending on final absentee ballot volume.

Statewide results will be posted to the Wisconsin Elections Commission archive after certification.