Our Work

"We look at new maps for legislative districts Wisconsin Republicans released Wednesday, how they may or may not differ from existing maps, and their future with Governor Evers and the justice system."

"Earlier this month, after the Wisconsin Supreme Court last month made the unprecedented decision to take original jurisdiction over the case brought by WILL, the federal three-judge panel paused its case until at least Nov. 5. The state’s high court, if it wants to, does have 'first dibs on drawing the lines'” said Robert Yablon, a UW-Madison law professor and expert on federal courts."

"The Wisconsin Supreme Court set dates this week for all parties to submit the facts backing their arguments and to answer questions posed by the court; the dates span the next three weeks leading into early November when legislative Republicans have said they expect to vote on their proposed maps. In the likely event Democratic Gov. Tony Evers rejects those maps, UW-Madison Election Law Professor Rob Yablon said the state court appears posed to take the lead on drawing the lines should there be an impasse - something that would break recent precedent."

"The Supreme Court is supposed to rule by the law alone, but that doesn't always happen. Has the Supreme Court always been political?"

"This week, the public has the chance to weigh in on the proposed legislative maps drawn by Gov. Tony Evers’ redistricting panel. We look at what the new districts may mean for control of the state Legislature and Wisconsin’s representation in Congress, as well as what’s next in the process."

This Article introduces the concept of “gerrylaundering” to describe mapmakers’ efforts to lock-in their favorable position by preserving key elements of the existing map. Gerrylaundering and gerrymandering both serve anti-competitive ends, but they do so through different means. Unlike gerrymandering, gerrylaundering requires no conspicuous cracking and packing of disfavored voters. Instead, it involves what this Article dubs locking and stocking: Mapmakers lock in prior district configurations to the extent possible and stock each new district with one incumbent. Based on a review of redistricting practice in all fifty states, this Article concludes that gerrylaundering is widespread and that self-serving mapmakers commonly combine gerrylaundering and gerrymandering techniques in varying proportions to achieve their preferred results.

"One year ago, America’s governors were having a moment. Covid-19 cases were rising, federal leadership was absent and much of the responsibility for fighting the pandemic fell on their shoulders."

This Article explains how state legislatures are almost always a state’s least majoritarian branch. The combination of districting itself, geographic clustering, and extreme gerrymandering mean that state legislatures are recurrently controlled by the state’s minority party. Indeed, the article finds that minority-party rule has afflicted state legislative chambers hundreds of times in the modern era. In contrast, state governors and state courts are overwhelmingly chosen via simple statewide elections, with no electoral college or lifetime appointment. This reframing destabilizes conventional narratives about state government and opens a host of broader inquiries.

"Election certification happens after every general election. This year, it’s looking to be costly."

"As states continue to tabulate votes, the Trump campaign is suing to stop counts in two states and requesting a recount in Wisconsin. An election law expert joins us to talk about the potential for lawsuits and what the Constitution says about the timeline for certifying election results."