In-person early voting opened Tuesday morning ahead of the April 7th Spring Election.
In-person early voting opened Tuesday morning across Wisconsin, giving voters their first chance to weigh in on a critical spring election that could shape the state’s judiciary for years to come.
Polls for in-person absentee voting opened at either 7 or 8 am in most communities and will run through Sunday, April 5, ahead of the April 7 general election. Hours and locations vary by municipality, and voters can check the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s My Vote site for details in their area.
At stake is one open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, following Justice Rebecca Bradley’s decision not to seek re-election. Conservative Maria Lazar faces off against former Democrat assemblywoman and left-wing abortion activist Chris Taylor.
Ideological control of the Court is not up for grabs as it was in the last two Supreme Court elections. Liberals hold a 4-3 majority and it would remain 4-3 with a Lazar win since she would be succeeding the conservative Bradley. A Taylor win would push the liberal majority to 5-2 and make it possible for liberals to win unanimous control of the Court by 2030.
Conservative justice Annette Ziegler has already announced that she will not run for re-election next year, and moderate conservative Brian Hagedorn is up for re-election in 2029. If liberals win both those elections, they will hold a 7-0 majority before the next liberal justice is up for re-election (Chief Justice Jill Karofsky in 2030).
This year, three Court of Appeals seats and numerous circuit court judgeships are also on the ballot along with local races for school boards, county offices, and municipal and school board positions.
The Heartland Post has put together The Ultimate Conservative Voter Guide to help conservative voters determine the best choices in municipal races in every single county in Wisconsin.
Overall voter turnout is expected to be down significantly from last year, which was the single most expensive judicial election in American history and drew significant national attention and a massive advertising campaign by Elon Musk on behalf of conservative candidate Brad Schimel.
