Voters to decide how Election of Chief of Justice will go

An election Tuesday could change the way the Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court is chosen.

There's a referendum on the ballot that could amend the state constitution.

According to the state constitution, the justice who has served in the Supreme Court the longest is the chief. It's a matter of seniority.

That could change if people vote \"Yes\" to the referendum to amend the constitution.

The state supreme court has seven justices. They're elected by voters to 10-year terms.

These seven justices would vote for who they want to be chief every two years, if the amendment passes.

\"What would happen is there would be kind of a floating chief justice. In other words the majority of the supreme court whether they're left or right would get to decide who they want to be the Chief Justice,\"said UWM Political Science Professor Mordecai Lee.

The election is on Tuesday.