WAUKESHA, Wis. — Election Day may not be until Tuesday, but Wisconsinites are showing up in large numbers to vote early in the state’s spring election.
According to data from the Wisconsin Elections Commission, over 475,000 people have either voted early in-person or by absentee ballot, as of Thursday morning.
In Waukesha County, early voting numbers have tripled this year compared to this same time in 2023.
Eugene Kreilkamp and his wife, Pamela, said they vote in every election.“We were right in the neighborhood, and it's just as easy to get it done early instead of rushing at the end,” Eugene Kreilkamp said.
Waukesha resident, James Boyd said he always votes, too.
“It doesn't really matter what race it is. It's best to have your voice heard. And if you don't do it, you cannot complain when your voice is completely ignored,” Boyd said.
Waukesha Interim City Clerk Linda Gourdoux said she is not surprised by the large turnout.
“People in Waukesha County firmly believe in the election process, and Waukesha County always has a very high turnout rate,” Gourdoux said.
She said the City of Waukesha has been getting about 600 to 700 early voters a day.
To put that into perspective, during the November presidential election, the city was averaging about 1,000 people voting daily.
Gourdoux said the state Supreme Court race is only one of the reasons for the surge in voting.
“We also have, in the City of Waukesha, nine aldermanic districts that are up for election, also," Gourdoux said.
In 2023, the last time there was an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, over 11,000 people voted early in Waukesha County.
This time around, that number has surpassed 38,000 people.
“Took me a long time to start paying attention to what was going on in the world, sad to say. But now I am paying attention," Waukesha resident Larita Schmitt said.
Boyd said he has also been paying attention to the races.
“It tells you that people are more conscious about voting, about having their voice heard,” Boyd said.
Friday is the last day to vote early in the City of Waukesha. But in some communities, Wisconsinites can early vote in-person as late as this weekend.
Check our Voter Guide for polling dates, times and locations.
