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Prof. Justin Levitt's Doug Spencer's Guide to Drawing the Electoral Lines

State Summary

Wisconsin’s congressional and state legislative lines are both drawn by the state legislature, as a regular statute, subject to gubernatorial veto.

For the 2020 cycle, the Governor has created, by executive order, an independent advisory commission to propose maps to the legislature.  The commsision has been meeting since October 2020 to collect public input.

On June 3, 2020, petitioners filed a petition (20-03) with the Wisconsin Supreme Court, encouraging the Court to adopt specific rules for the resolution of redistricting disputes.

In the 2010 cycle, Wisconsin’s legislature passed a congressional plan (SB 149) and state legislative plan (SB 148) on July 20, 2011, which were signed by the Governor on Aug. 9, 2011.  On Mar. 22, 2012, a federal court struck two state Assembly districts under the Voting Rights Act; the court adopted a remedial plan for those two districts on Apr. 11, 2012.

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Seats: (projected)

Institution:

Drawn by:

Plan Status:

Party Control:
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  Lower House:
  Governor:

Key Info for 2000 Cycle

Primary governing law

Key Info for 2010 Cycle

Website

Primary governing law

Key Info for 2020 Cycle

Primary governing law

Data

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The Latest Updates

Feb 19, 2024
Gov. Evers signed new state legislative districts into law.
Feb 13, 2024
The Wisconsin state legislature passed new districts that were originally proposed by the Governor after prior maps were struck down by the state supreme court.
Dec 22, 2023
The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the state's legislative districts for violating the state constitution, which requires that districts consist of "contiguous territory."
Aug 4, 2023
A group of mathematicians and computer scientists who live in Wisconsin petitioned the state supreme court to invalidate the state's legislative districts for violating the state's constitution.
Aug 2, 2023
Wisconsin voters filed a lawsuit challenging the state's legislative districts and alleging that they are a partisan gerrymander in violation of the equal protection clause of the state's constitution.
Apr 15, 2022
The Wisconsin supreme court adopted the legislature’s proposed state legislative maps on remand from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Mar 23, 2022
The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Wisconsin Supreme Court, finding that the Governor’s state legislative maps predominantly relied on race without sufficient justification in the record.
Mar 3, 2022
The Wisconsin Supreme Court approved new "least change" congressional and state legislative maps drawn by Gov. Evers. The Court dismissed competing proposals by the state legislature.
Dec 6, 2021
The U.S. Supreme Court denied the Wisconsin Legislature's petition to declare that federal court intervention in redistricting violates principles of federalism and comity.
Nov 30, 2021
The Wisconsin Supreme Court, on a 4-3 vote, issued an order adopting a "least-change" approach to drawing new congressional and state legislative districts based on the state's existing plans.
Nov 18, 2021
Wisconsin Gov. Evers vetoed SB 622 (congressional districts) and SB 621 (legislative districts), calling them "gerrymandering 2.0." The Wisconsin Supreme Court previously agreed to draw new maps if the political process failed, and ordered parties to submit proposed maps by noon on Dec. 15, 2021. A federal court has stayed a challenge by Democrats until the state supreme court completes its process.
Nov 11, 2021
The Wisconsin Assembly passed new congressional and state legislative maps (SB 622 and SB 621) . The maps passed the Senate earlier in the week and now go to the governor. The governor is expected to veto the maps.
Nov 2, 2021
The advisory commission to Gov. Evers published its final version of congressional and state legislative maps.
Sep 30, 2021
The advisory commission to Wisconsin Gov. Evers released a set of proposed maps for Congress (4 plans), state Senate (3 plans), and state Assembly (3 plans).
Sep 23, 2021
A three-judge federal court panel issued a temporary stay on a petition asking the court to draw new maps in Wisconsin. The stay allows the districting process to play out while maintaining the federal court's jurisdiction to draw new maps in the event that the state's political process fails.
Sep 23, 2021

The Wisconsin Supreme Court accepted a redistricting case filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, who challenge the constitutionality of the current political maps.

Aug 13, 2021
Six Wisconsin citizens have filed a lawsuit in federal court. Arguing that the political branches will likely fail to enact new congressional and state legislative plans in a timely manner, the plaintiffs ask the court to step in and draw the maps.
Nov 30, 2020
Today was the deadline for comments on a proposed rule for redistricting procedures before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.  There will be a hearing on the proposal Jan. 14, 2021.
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Institution

Wisconsin’s congressional and state legislative lines are both drawn by the state legislature, as a regular statute, subject to gubernatorial veto.

On Jan. 27, 2020, the Governor created, by executive order, an independent advisory commission to propose maps to the legislature.  There are nine commissioners, none of whom are a public or party official or lobbyist; per the order, the commission will draw maps free of partisan bias and partisan advantage, without “diluting or diminishing” minority votes, with districts that are compact, contiguous, avoid splitting wards and municipalities, retain the core population of each district and maintain traditional communities of interest, and “prevent voter disenfranchisement.”  The commsision has been meeting since October 2020 to collect public input.  The legislature may adopt, reject, or ignore the commission’s proposals.

 

Timing

Wisconsin law requires that state legislative lines be drawn in the first legislative session after each Census; the legislative session began on Jan. 12, 2021, and continues through the end of the year.  [Wis. Const. art. IV, § 3]

There is no similar deadline for congressional districts, though candidates must file for both congressional and state legislative primary elections by June 1, 2022. [Wis. Stat. § 8.15(1)]

Wisconsin law prohibits redrawing state legislative districts mid-decade, before the next Census; there is no similar provision pertaining to congressional lines. [Wis. Const. art. IV, § 3State ex rel. Smith v. Zimmerman, 266 Wis. 307 (1954)]

Public input

The legislature has not announced any specific plans for public input this cycle just yet.

The Governor’s advisory commission has been collecting public input since October 2020.  Meeting records are here.

Criteria

Like all states, Wisconsin must comply with constitutional equal population requirements and must abide by the Voting Rights Act and constitutional rules on race.

The Wisconsin constitution further requires that state legislative districts be in as compact form as practicable, and that they be bounded by county, precinct, town, or ward lines where possible. The state constitution also requires that state legislative districts be contiguous.  [Wis. Const. art. IV, §§ 4-5]

Also, state Assembly districts must be nested within state Senate districts, so that each Senate district is made up of three Assembly districts. [Wis. Const. art. IV, § 5Wis. Stat. § 4.001]

2020 cycle

Coming soon.

2010 cycle

Wisconsin’s legislature passed a congressional plan (SB 149) and state legislative plan (SB 148) on July 20, 2011, which were signed by the Governor on Aug. 9, 2011.

Because state districts must follow municipal ward lines where possible, redistricting usually occurs after ward lines are redrawn.  In 2011, the legislature set an extremely aggressive schedule (though activity had not been scheduled to resume before September, the legislature reconvened in extraordinary session on July 19 and passed both maps by July 20), the legislature also passed legislation asking municipalities to redraw ward lines after state districts had been drawn.

The congressional plan was challenged in federal court, and upheld.  [Baldus v. Brennan, 849 F. Supp. 2d 840 (E.D. Wis. 2012)]

The state legislative plan was also challenged in federal court; on Mar. 22, 2012, the federal court struck two state Assembly districts under the Voting Rights Act, and adopted a remedial plan for those two districts on Apr. 11, 2012.  Further challenges to the state legislative plan were rejected.  [Gill v. Whitford, 138 S. Ct. 1916 (2018), dismissed on remand sub nom. Whitford v. Gill, No. 3:15-cv-00421 (W.D. Wis. July 2, 2019); Baldus v. Brennan, 862 F. Supp. 2d 860 (E.D. Wis. 2012); Baldus v. Brennan, 849 F. Supp. 2d 840 (E.D. Wis. 2012)]

2000 cycle

Wisconsin’s legislature passed a congressional plan (AB 711) that was signed on Mar. 27, 2002.  It did not, however, pass a state legislative plan, and cases were brought in both state and federal court. The state court deferred to the federal court, which issued state legislative plans on May 30, 2002, amended July 11, 2002. It does not appear that the congressional plan was challenged in court after it was enacted.

[Jensen v. Wis. Elections Bd., 639 N.W.2d 537 (Wis. 2002); Baumgart v. Wendelberger, No. 01-C-0121, 2002 WL 34127471 (E.D. Wis. May 30, 2002)]

Redistricting Cases in Wisconsin

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Wisconsin | State Upper | State Lower
Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Comm'n
PENDING -- state court challenge to state legislative districts, alleging partisan gerrymandering in violation of state constitution
Last Updated Feb 8, 2024
Case No. 2023-AP-001399 (Wis. S. Ct.)
Cycle 2020
Wisconsin | State Upper | State Lower
Wright v. Wisconsin Elections Comm'n
PENDING -- state court challenge to state legislative districts, alleging partisan gerrymandering in violation of state constitution
Last Updated Aug 22, 2023
Case No. 2023-AP-001412
Cycle 2020
Wisconsin | Congress | State Upper | State Lower
Hunter v. Bostelmann
Plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed federal court challenges to congressional and legislative maps based on anticipated legislative failure
Last Updated May 5, 2022
Case No. 3:21-cv-00512 (W.D. Wis.); No. 21-474 (U.S. S. Ct.)
Cycle 2020

2020 Wisconsin Maps Available for Download

Search all Cycles for Wisconsin Maps >

Wisconsin | 2020
2020 Wisconsin Maps
Wisconsin’s congressional and state legislative lines are both drawn by the state legislature, as...
Number of Maps 13
Last Updated Nov 6, 2021
Cycle 2020