The Green Papers: Wisconsin State and Local Government

Home ❯ State and Local Governmen… ❯ Wisconsin

Governor:1
Senators: 2 (Electoral Classes 1 and 3)
2020 Census: 5,897,473 (1.78% of 331,797,979
- 2024, 2028 Electors: 10 (1.86% of 538)
- 2022-2030 Representatives: 8 (1.84% of 435)
2010 Census: 5,698,230 (1.84% of 309,785,186)
- 2012, 2016, 2020 Electors: 10 (1.86% of 538)
- 2012-2020 Representatives: 8 (1.84% of 435)
Capital: Madison

Current Wisconsin Statewide Office Holders

Official Name/Status All States

The STATE of Wisconsin
Status: STATE of the Union
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
- Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: None
- Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Elected on a ticket with- but nominated separately from- the Governor
- Secretary of State: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Treasurer: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Superintendent of Public Instruction: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2021, 2025

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 All States

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

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
- (--2011) "Spring primary" ... means the primary held on the 3rd Tuesday in February to nominate nonpartisan candidates to be voted for at the spring election 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)]
- (2011--) "Spring election" means the election held on the first Tuesday in April 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
- (--2011) 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)]
- (2012--) Partisan primary means the primary held the 2nd Tuesday in August to nominate candidates to be voted for at the general election. [WI Statutes 10.78(4)(c)1, 502.(18)]
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. These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes.

Constitution
- http://www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/2wiscon.html
Election Authority. All States
- Wisconsin Elections Commission
- Wisconsin Secretary of State
Legislature. All States
Democratic
- The Democratic Party of Wisconsin
- Wisconsin State Senate Democratic Committee
Republican
- Republican Party of Wisconsin
Third Party
Media & others

State and Local Government Outline

Modified .