Fair Maps Update

By: Irene Bugge

Polk County became a hub of activism for fair maps in 2021. This spring with a nonpartisan redistricting referendum on the April ballot, grassroots volunteers put up 150 purple and white “End Gerrymandering” lawn signs, mailed 2,000 vote-yes-for-the-referendum post cards, left messages or spoke directly to 700 voters and held five fair maps sign rallies on local street corners. 

Voters went to the polls and with a solid majority — 61% — voted YES. 

To date 56 out of 72 counties in Wisconsin, 83%, have passed similar advisory resolutions or referendums sending a strong, unified message to the State Legislature that Wisconsinites want fair, nonpartisan voting district maps in 2021 and an end to gerrymandering. 

But because these resolutions and referendums are advisory or nonbinding, the legislators can choose to ignore what the majority of the people of Wisconsin want.

With the recent release of the 2020 census data and the redistricting process underway, we will soon find out if our representatives in the Legislature are listening. 

The People’s Maps Commission 

One group that has been listening is the People’s Maps Commission. Established by Governor Evers last fall, the People’s Maps Commission is modeled on nonpartisan committees that have worked successfully in other states to draw fair voting district maps. 

To date, the Commission has participated in more than 20 hours of public hearings. They have listened to feedback from over 1,000 Wisconsinites, representing 65 counties and 245 municipalities and learned from 18 redistricting experts. There have been 1,746 submissions to the Commission.

Based on these listening sessions and submissions, the Commission created a ranked list of mapmaking criteria. These deliberations were also open to the public. You can watch their on-going working meetings on their YouTube Channel.

The top three criteria included an emphasis on “continuity and compactness,” preservation of “political (county and municipal) boundaries” and respect for “communities of interest.”  A community of interest is a group of people with shared concerns and interests that can be affected by legislation. 

In an effort to draw fair impartial maps that represent all Wisconsinites, the Commission invited people to submit maps, in particular, community of interest maps.

In July, the local League of Women Voters and Western Wisconsin for Nonpartisan Voting Districts co-sponsored “Mappy Hour” at Trap Rock Brewing Company in St. Croix Falls. Participants were assisted in using districtr software to draw maps that represented communities of interest in Polk County.  Twenty-eight maps were created that night. 

As of the end of August, the Commission has received 796 community of interest maps along with 39 congressional district plans, 19 senate district plans and 27 assembly district plans through the People’s Maps Commission portal. They are seeking more.  

The transparent, public-input focused process used by the People’s Maps Commission contrasts sharply with what happened in 2010, the last time voting district maps were redrawn. The entire redistricting process was done in secret with no public input. A political scientist from Oklahoma drew the maps. Sophisticated computer analysis of past voting data was used to rig or gerrymander the maps in favor of the majority party. The gerrymander was so extreme that the votes and voices of over half of Wisconsin’s citizens were diluted.

Next Steps

On August 12, the Legislature announced the opening of their own portal. They will be accepting map submissions from the public.

“We are excited to see the Legislature asking for public input,” said Jenelle Ludwig Krause, with WWNVD. “Thanks to the efforts of so many, our collective voices are beginning to be heard in Madison.”

“We are committed to help as many people as possible submit comments and maps to the People’s Maps Commission and the Legislative portals,” Krause added. “Wisconsinites deserve fair maps that allow us to choose representatives responsive to the needs of our communities.”

Attend a “Mappy” Hour in our area between September 25 and October 14. Details soon.

Meet with your legislators virtually to advocate for fair maps on Fair Maps Legislative Lobby Day, Monday, September 27. Register for this virtual event here.