Wisconsin State and Local Government

The Green Papers: State and Local Government

Wisconsin

Governor:	1	(Term Limit: None; 4-year term)
Senators:	2	(Electoral Classes 1 and 3)
2000 Representatives:	9	(2.07% of 435)
2002 Representatives:	8	(1.84% of 435)
2004 Electors:	10	(1.86% of 538)
1990 Census:	4,891,769	(1.97% of 248,765,170)
2000 Census:	5,371,210	(1.90% of 281,998,273)
Registered Voters (2000):
Voter Registration:	Wisconsin has election day registration at the polls.
Estimated Voting age population (2000):	3,930,000
Capital:	Madison

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States Alphabetically Current Wisconsin Statewide Office Holders


Official Name/Status All States
	The STATE of Wisconsin
	Organized as a Territory: 20 April 1836. 5 Stat. 10: effective, 3 July 1836; previously, part of Michigan Territory
	Admitted to the Union as a State: 29 May 1848 by an Act of Congress (9 Stat. 233)
	The 30th state.


Traditional Sections and Regions All States
	Section: MIDWEST
	Region: Great Lakes
	Survey: Public Domain

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

Enabling Act (of the Congress of the United States): 6 August 1846 [9 Stat. 56: authorizing formation of a State government and Admission thereafter]

• 1st (1848--) [Adopted: 1 February 1848 Convention convened, 15 December 1847 (this was the second attempt to draft a State Constitution: a Convention, which had convened on 5 October 1846, adopted a Constitution which prohibited banks from operating within the State on 16 December 1846; this document was ultimately rejected, thus delaying Statehood for Wisconsin), Ratified: 13 March 1848 ratified by a vote of 16,442 to 6,149; effective upon Admission, 29 May 1848 (the anti-banking Constitution framed by the 1846 Convention had been rejected by the People in April 1847)]

Executive Branch All States

Chief Executive
	• GOVERNOR
Successor to a Vacancy
	• Lieutenant Governor [elected on same ticket with GOVERNOR]

Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States 2009 Office holders
	• Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010. Term Limit: None
	• Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010. Elected on a ticket with- but nominated separately from- the Governor;
	• Secretary of State: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010
	• Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010
	• Treasurer: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010
	• Superintendent of Public Instruction: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2009, 2013

Legislative Branch All States

Legislature
	• LEGISLATURE

Upper House
	• Senate
Lower House
	• Assembly

Judicial Branch All States

Court of Last Resort
	• Supreme Court
Intermediate Appellate Court
	• Court of Appeals [IN: district FOR: State]

Local Government


PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
	• county [Type: Limited, Executive and Legislative: Board of Supervisors]
	MINOR CIVIL DIVISION All States
		• Town[ship] [Type: Broad, Executive: Board of Supervisors, Legislative: TOWN MEETING]

Incorporated Municipalities All States

Statutory Election Information All States

General Election All States
	• "General election" means the election held in even−numbered years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November to elect United States senators, representatives in congress, presidential electors, state senators, representatives to the assembly, district attorneys, state officers other than the state superintendent and judicial officers, and county officers other than supervisors and county executives. [WI Statutes 5.02(5)]
Presidential Primary All States
	• "Spring primary" ... held on the 3rd Tuesday in February ... to express preferences for the person to be the presidential candidate for each party in a year in which electors for president and vice president are to be elected. [WI Statutes 5.02(22)]
State Primary All States
	• 2d Tuesday in September [WI Statutes 10.78(4)(c)1]
	• "Spring primary" ... held on the 3rd Tuesday in February to nominate nonpartisan candidates ... and to express preferences for the person to be the presidential candidate for each party in a year in which electors for president and vice president are to be elected. [WI Statutes 5.02(22)] "Spring election" ... held on the first Tuesday in April to elect ... nonpartisan ... [WI Statutes 5.02(21)]
Polling times All States
	• The polls at every election shall be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. [WI Statutes 6.78(1m)]

Links Links to other web sites

Constitution
	• http://www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/2wiscon.html
Election Authority
	• Wisconsin State Elections Board
Legislature
	• Wisconsin State Legislature
	• Wisconsin State Senate
Democratic
	• The Democratic Party of Wisconsin
	• Wisconsin State Senate Democratic Committee
Republican
	• Republican Party of Wisconsin
Third Party
	• Constitution Party of Wisconsin
	• Libertarian Party of Wisconsin
	• Progressive Dane
	• Socialist Party of Wisconsin
	• The Unity Party of Wisconsin
	• Wisconsin Green Party
	• Wisconsin Right to Life
Media & others
	• DC's Political Report - Wisconsin
	• Fond du Lac Reporter
	• Greater Milwaukee Today
	• Journal Sentinel - Milwaukee
	• LaCrosse Tribune
	• Leader-Telegram - Eau Claire
	• Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
	• Oshkosh Northwestern
	• Politics1.com - Wisconsin
	• Sheboygan-Press
	• Stevens Point Journal
	• The Capital Times, Wisconsin State Journal - Madison
	• The Chippewa Herald
	• The Janesville Gazette
	• The Journal Times - Racine
	• The Kenosha News
	• The Wheeler Report - Madison
	• Watertown Daily Times
	• Wausau Daily Herald
	• WISC TV - IBS - Madison
	• Wisconsin Radio Network - Madison
	• Wisconsin Vote - University of Wisconsin
	• Wisinfo
	• WisPolitics.com
	• WKOW TV - ABC - Madison