In what many predicted after Wisconsin’s Supreme Court flipped from conservative to liberal in April of 2023, the new State Supreme Court found Wisconsin’s current maps unconstitutional and ordered new legislative maps to be drawn in time for the 2024 elections. 

The court set a deadline of January 12 for the various parties to the case to submit proposed remedial maps. The court also appointed two “referees,” political science academics who have worked as redistricting consultants in other states, to help the court evaluate the proposals. In a letter to the court, the referees explain how they will analyze the proposals by using demographic and election data to assess the following factors based on the court’s directive:

·         Population equality

·         Political subdivision splits

·         Contiguity

·         Compactness

·         Federal law compliance

·         Community considerations

·         Political neutrality

The referees are to return their evaluations to the court by February 1.