close
close

Republicans maintain control of the Wisconsin Legislature despite new maps


Republicans maintain control of the Wisconsin Legislature despite new maps

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans emerged from Tuesday's elections still in complete control of the Wisconsin Legislature. They broke new district boundaries that Democrats had hoped would finally give them a chance to make major progress in both chambers.

Voters also approved a GOP-authored constitutional amendment banning nonresidents from voting in Wisconsin.

Here's a look at what was at stake for the Legislature and the Republican-authored constitutional amendment to ensure that only U.S. citizens can vote in Wisconsin:

Wisconsin Legislature

As of early Wednesday morning, the GOP held six of 10 Republican Senate districts this cycle, securing a majority of at least 18 seats. Democrats managed to flip one district, ending the GOP's 22-seat supermajority and preventing Republicans from overriding any vetoes by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

The Democrats had better luck in the House and changed some districts, but that wasn't enough. As of early Wednesday morning, Republicans still had at least 50 seats, giving them control.

The GOP has controlled both chambers for much of the last 13 years. They have used their majorities to castrate public employee unions, legalize concealed weapons, limit diversity initiatives and tighten voting rules.

Democrats had hoped this election cycle would be different after liberal justices took control of the state Supreme Court in 2023, clearing the way for Evers to draw new district lines that apportion Republican voters.

Changing the citizenship vote

Wisconsin voters in Tuesday's election approved a constitutional amendment banning nonresidents from voting in the state.

“Voters sent an unmistakable message: Wisconsin’s elections will be decided by U.S. citizens, not radical left-wing activists who would turn the ballot box into a Petri dish for extremist politics,” Brian Schimming, chairman of the state Republican Party, said in an explanation.

Republicans across the country have pushed voters to pass constitutional amendments that explicitly ban non-U.S. citizens from voting. The move was pushed by the District of Columbia and municipalities in California, Maryland and Vermont, which allow non-citizens to vote in local elections.

The Wisconsin Constitution states that any U.S. citizen at least 18 years old can vote. The amendment changes this language to state that only U.S. citizens can vote in federal, state and local elections in Wisconsin.

According to Ballotpedia, the change was on the ballot in seven other states in addition to Wisconsin this cycle. North Dakota, Alabama, Florida, Colorado, Ohio and Louisiana have already adopted it.

Democrats claim the measures could create hurdles for legal voters and make people believe the problem of non-citizens voting is bigger than it actually is. State data suggests non-citizens rarely vote, although Republican officials in Alabama, Georgia, Ohio and Texas have pointed to voter registration checks that have uncovered potential non-citizens.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *