Federal trial set to begin over Wis. election maps
MILWAUKEE — After two days of delays, a federal trial is set to begin in Milwaukee in a case involving the state’s latest election maps.
The maps show which voters are in which voting districts. The district boundaries are adjusted every 10 years to reflect updated U.S. Census numbers.
Republican lawmakers drew up the latest maps in strict secrecy last year and passed them in a GOP-led Legislature.
Democrats have challenged the GOP-friendly maps for shifting the districts for hundreds of thousands of voters without a good reason. An immigrant-rights group has also sued, alleging that the boundaries divide Latino blocs, weakening their voting power.
They’re suing the state Government Accountability Board to prevent it from implementing the new maps.
The trial starts Thursday morning. It’s expected to wrap up late Friday.