Eau Claire (WQOW) - The next time voters head to the polls there will be changes to what office some people vote for.
Lost in the shuffle of Tuesdays recall elections, Gov. Scott Walker signed two bills into law creating new political boundaries. The GOP boundaries were approved by lawmakers in July. They're required every ten years as part of the census. The new boundaries will be used starting in 2012.
There are some major changes to State Assembly Districts in western Wisconsin. The City of Eau Claire had been split between the 68th and 93rd Districts. The city will now be mostly represented by one district, the 91st. That shifts both the 92nd and 93rd Districts to the west.
The 68th Assembly District will now make up parts of five counties, compared to two. And will take up some of the area previously making up the 69th assembly seat. And to the north, the 87th Assembly District will no longer include Price County and more of Sawyer County.
In the State Senate, there are some minor shifts to 10th Senate District. It will no longer include Ellsworth. There will also be less of Pierce County in the district.
Eau Claire County, which was divided north and south, is now being divided east and west between the 23rd and 31st Senate districts. The 31st Senate District also loses ground in Jackson County, while picking up more of Pierce County.
And much like the 87th Assembly District, the 29th Senate District will no longer include Price County and more of Sawyer County.
Boundaries dividing the 3rd and 7th Congressional Districts have shifted quite a bit. The 3rd Congressional District now has a 'Y' shape to it and includes parts of Chippewa County, including Chippewa Falls and stretches into Adams and Portage counties.
Meanwhile, St. Croix and Clark counties have been added to the 7th Congressional District along with parts of Jackson County.
Following the private signing, the governor issued a statement. The spokesperson for Gov. Walker says, "The maps passed by the legislature meet the objective criteria laid out by the courts including communities of interest, fair minority representation, and compact, contiguous districts."
A lawsuit challenging the plans was filed in federal court before they were released.
