Gov. Tony Evers visited Green Bay for the first stop of his statewide "Fair Maps Tour" on Feb. 20, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — There are new legislative district maps in place for the fall elections in Wisconsin. The Republican legislature approved revised maps for the Assembly and Senate districts submitted by Governor Evers, who on February 19, 2024 signed them into law. But the maps come with some confusion for voters wondering which districts they’re now in.
“It’s a new day in Wisconsin, and a beautiful time for democracy in the state,” Gov. Evers proclaimed as he toured the state to announced the new maps.
On February 19th Governor Tony Evers signed into law new legislative maps. The previous maps were put into place under Republican Governor Scott Walker back in 2011.
“For more than a decade now Wisconsinites have lived under some of the most undemocratic gerrymandered legislative maps in the United states of America,” said Evers.
The new fair maps are expected to more evenly represent the state as a whole in the state legislature. Wisconsin is roughly split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats, but in the legislature Republicans have dominated in recent years.
“Under these maps genuinely either party could win control of the Assembly in November of this year that hasn’t been a realistic chance for a decade or more,” explained John Johnson, a Marquette University Law School research fellow and noted expert on Wisconsin’s legislative maps.
“I think the biggest implication is neither party has a built in majority of safe seats it’ll all come down to a set of districts to determine which party controls the legislature,” said Johnson.
By making more districts more evenly split by party, Democrats will have a better chance to win more seats which will likely eliminate the Republican super majority in the Senate. Although not all Senate seats are up for re-election this year.
“Any senate seat pick they make around the state would be enough to end the Republican super majority in that chamber,” said Johnson.
Many voters will find themselves in districts that are new to them when they go to the polls for the fall election. Local municipalities plan to educate residents on which legislative districts they are now in once they are fully brought up to date by the state election commission. But the governor’s chosen maps can be found by clicking here.
Once there click on the state of Wisconsin then choose which maps—Congressional , State Senate or Assembly you’d like to see. From there, use the tools section in the lower left hand corner to better highlight what you’re looking for. On the map itself you can zoom into specific streets and houses to see where the district lines are drawn.
“There will probably be a lot more open seats now or even two former incumbents running head to head against each other and so I encourage people who don’t always vote in August to check out their sample ballot this year and see if it might be more interesting to them,” said Johnson.
Evers is also pushing the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take up a case that would look at redrawing the Congressional district lines in the state as well.
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