FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 08, 2018
Contacts:
Lisa Lucas, WI Voices Communications Director, 202-422-0752, lisa@wisconsinvoices.org
Sachin Chheda, Fair Elections Project, 414-412-6099
STATE ASSEMBLY MAKE-UP MISREPRESENTS VOTERS’PREFERENCES
Wisconsin’s Skewed District Maps Distort Will of the Electorate
MILWAUKEE, WIS. — An initial analysis by Wisconsin Voices and the Wisconsin Fair Elections Project reveals that state Assembly Republicans received 45% of total statewide Assembly votes but will hold almost two-thirds of Assembly seats.
“The outcome of the Assembly races is undemocratic but not surprising. The people who decided the current voting maps intentionally skewed the lines to create non-competitive districts. We must redraw the district maps and bring fairness and balance back to our state legislature,” said Dana Schultz, Wisconsin Voices Executive Director.
Preliminary results show 1,306,922 votes for Democratic candidates for the Assembly, 1,102,721 votes for Republican candidates for the Assembly. There were 33 Assembly races uncontested. Observers note that is an incredibly high number in what is an evenly divided state.
“The incumbent governor failed to win reelection, and the legislative majority in the Assembly was also repudiated by voters. Yet they’ve indicated they intend to make major changes to state law in a lame-duck session to further remove power from elected officials whom the public can hold accountable. This is not government by the people and for the people. It’s time for new, fair voting maps, that allow the public to choose their elected officials, and for the process to draw those maps to be independent of politics,” said Sachin Chheda, Director of the Fair Elections Project, which organized and launched the Whitford lawsuit.
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Wisconsin Voices is a network of over 60 non-profit organizations working together to protect and strengthen our democracy. Wisconsin Fair Elections Project fights for fair redistricting by inspiring and supporting litigation, legislation, and public advocacy to stop partisan gerrymandering.