See complete coverage, results from the April 2 Wisconsin elections

The court on Wednesday denied the request for clarification, citing the court's December ruling that found the state's previous legislative maps are unconstitutional, barring their use in any subsequent election.

Civic participation was slightly better in the city of Madison and Dane County, where turnout was about 26% and 28%, respectively, of the voting-age population.

Those margins amount to tens of thousands of voters, which may sound like a small figure in most states, but in Wisconsin, that can make all the difference.

The rare anomaly for the 8th Congressional District in northeastern Wisconsin is due to the timing of former U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher's surprise resignation.

The new law comes after similar measures were introduced with bipartisan support in previous legislative sessions, but ultimately failed to reach fruition.