Wisconsin Question 1, State Supreme Court Justices Amendment (April 1889)

Wisconsin Question 1
Election date April 2, 1889
Topic State judiciary
Status Approved
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Wisconsin Question 1 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Wisconsin on April 2, 1889. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported amending the constitution to provide for the state supreme court to be made up of five justices.

A "no" vote opposed amending the constitution to provide for the state supreme court to be made up of five justices.

Election results

Wisconsin Question 1
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		125,759	89.53%
No		14,712	10.47%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Question 1 was as follows:

“

For amendment to the constitution... Against amendment to the constitution...

”

Constitutional changes

Article VII, Section 4 SECTION 1. The chief justice and associate justices of the supreme court shall be severally known as justices of said court with the same terms of office, respectively as now provided. The supreme court shall consist of five justices (any three of whom shall be a quorum), to be elected as now provided. The justice having been longest a continuous member of the court (or in case two or more of such senior justices having served for the same length of time, then the one whose commission first expires), shall be ex-officio the chief justice;

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Wisconsin Constitution

A simple majority vote is required during two legislative sessions for the Wisconsin State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 50 votes in the Wisconsin State Assembly and 17 votes in the Wisconsin State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

See also

1889 Measures

• 1889 Measures
• State judiciary on the ballot
• 1889 legislative sessions

Wisconsin

• Wisconsin ballot measures
• Wisconsin ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls