CEDARBURG, Wis — With less than a week until Wisconsin’s spring election, early voting numbers are soaring across the state, signaling strong voter engagement in a contest that could reshape the state’s Supreme Court.
In communities across the state, local election officials are reporting a significant increase in early voting participation.
According to Wisconsin Elections Commission, more than 407,000 voters have already cast their ballots either in person or by mail as of Wednesday morning. That is nearly double the turnout at this point in 2023 spring election, which also featured a high-profile state Supreme Court race.
The race between Judges Brad Schimel and Susan Crawford will determine whether the court remains under liberal control or shifts to a conservative majority.
In Cedarburg, a city in Ozaukee County, 20% of registered voters have already cast ballots – outpacing last year’s turnout, which stood at 13% at this point in the election season.
"There’s been an uptick in people voting in-person absentee,” said Cedarburg City Clerk Traci Sette. “I would say it started in November, a huge increase.”
Milwaukee, the state’s largest county, is also experiencing an early voting boom. Paulina Gutierrez, Milwaukee’s election director, said turnout is nearly 50% ahead of where it was at this point in 2023.
“We are on route to break records for sure,” Gutierrez said. “It’s been a pretty steady activity at all of our sites.”
Gutierrez anticipated the final days of early voting to be especially busy, with Friday marking the last opportunity for those in Milwaukee to register before Election Day.
“If you are unable to register to vote on Saturday, you can register to vote on Election Day at your polling location,” said Gutierrez.
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