Redistricting is the process of drawing new congressional and state legislative district boundaries. Upon completion of the 2020 census, Wisconsin will draft and enact new district maps. This article will chronicle the 2020 redistricting cycle in Wisconsin.
Each of Wisconsin’s eight United States representatives and 132 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. Federal law stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Following the 2010 census, Wisconsin was apportioned eight congressional seats.
- Wisconsin’s State Assembly is made up of 99 districts; Wisconsin’s State Senate is made up of 33 districts.
- In Wisconsin, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the Wisconsin State Legislature.
See the sections below for further information on the following topics:
- Apportionment and release of census data: This section details the 2020 apportionment process, including data from the United States Census Bureau.
- Drafting process: This section details the drafting process for new congressional and state legislative district maps.
- Enactment: This section provides information about the enacted congressional and state legislative district maps.
- Court challenges: This section details court challenges to the enacted congressional and state legislative district maps.
- Background: This section summarizes federal and state-based requirements for redistricting at both the congressional and state legislative levels. A narrative summary of the 2010 redistricting cycle in