Arizona Prop 142: Voters to decide on constitutional amendment restricting DEI programs
A voting center is seen in Scottsdale, Arizona, on October 7, 2026, on the first day of early voting for the midterm elections. (Photo by OLIVIER TOURON / AFP via Getty Images)
PHOENIX - Arizona voters will decide at the Nov. 3 general election whether to amend the state constitution to expand restrictions on preferential treatment, discrimination, and diversity policies across all levels of government, according to an analysis by the Arizona Legislative Council.
Timeline:
The measure, Proposition 142 (originally House Concurrent Resolution 2044), passed the House of Representatives on Feb. 23, 2026, and the Senate on June 12, 2026.
What is Prop 142?:
If approved, the amendment would apply to the state, cities, towns, counties, public universities, community colleges, school districts, and all other political subdivisions, prohibiting them from granting preferential treatment or discriminating based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, education, or contracting—even when tied to federal programs.
Under the proposed amendment, public institutions could not require or solicit statements supporting theories of differential treatment, formulations of race-based diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), or beliefs that colorblind laws perpetuate racial oppression.
An official summary prepared by the Legislative Council clarifies that the measure targets not only race-based policies, but also spending on public education offices, activities, and trainings designed around intersectionality, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
Additionally, the resolution prohibits spending public funds, including tax revenue, tuition, grants, and donations, to operate offices or positions in public education aimed at promoting preferential treatment or influencing faculty and student body composition by race, sex, or ethnicity. Public schools and universities would also be prohibited from implementing disciplinary policies that treat individuals differently based on race or ethnicity.
Key features of the proposal
- Prohibiting Compelled Endorsement: Public institutions cannot require students, job applicants, employees, or contractors to endorse or submit statements supporting race-based preferential treatment, DEI formulations, or privilege concepts as a condition of hiring, admission, promotion, or graduation.
- Restricting Public Funding for DEI Offices: Public education institutions cannot spend public funds, tuition, or donations to operate offices or positions dedicated to promoting preferential treatment or managing student and faculty composition based on race, sex, or ethnicity.
- Banning Differential Discipline: Public educational institutions cannot use disciplinary practices that treat students or employees differently based on race or ethnicity.
- Preserving Academic and Historical Exceptions: The proposal explicitly protects classroom instruction, scholarly research, guest speakers, student clubs, and the teaching of historical events like slavery or the Holocaust.
What a YES or NO vote means
- A YES vote approves the constitutional amendment, expanding Article II, Section 36 of the Arizona Constitution to prohibit public entities and public education institutions from requiring statements on race, funding offices promoting preferential treatment, mandating race-based trainings, or implementing race-based discipline policies.
- A NO vote opposes the constitutional amendment, maintaining the existing language of Article II, Section 36 of the Arizona Constitution without adding the proposed restrictions on educational offices, compelled statements, mandatory trainings, or discipline policies.
The Exemptions:
The resolution includes specific exemptions, stating it does not prohibit academic course instruction, research, student organization activities, guest speakers, or licensed health services. It also preserves sex-specific spaces, actions required to maintain federal funding eligibility, tribal membership qualifications, and teaching historical instances of racial discrimination such as slavery, the Holocaust, or Japanese-American internment.
The resolution proposes adding explicit constitutional language to regulate how state and local public bodies handle topics related to race, ethnicity, and gender.
What's next:
The general election will be held Nov. 3.
Voters using mail-in ballots must request them by Oct. 23 and either mail them by Oct. 27 or deliver them to a drop-off location by 7 p.m. Nov. 3.
Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, and in-person voters must show valid identification.
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The Source: Information in this report was gathered from House Concurrent Resolution 2044, legislative record from the Arizona House of Representatives and Senate; and ballot information for Proposition 142 in the Arizona Nov. 3 general election.