Early, in-person voting kicks off ahead of April 1 Wisconsin Supreme Court race

Early in-person voting is kicking off across Wisconsin ahead of the April 1 state Supreme Court race.

Although Tuesday, March 18 marks Wisconsin’s first day of early in-person voting in the spring election, the exact hours and locations for early voting vary from community to community. The last available day of early in-person voting will be Sunday, March 30.

During designated hours, voters can fill out absentee ballots in-person and then return those ballots at those locations.

Along with voting at the polls, voters have the option to turn in absentee ballots by mail so long as the ballot is received no later than 8 p.m. on election day.

In some communities, drop boxes are available for returning absentee ballots.

Voters weighing SCOWIS, state superintendent races

With two weeks to go until election day, a campaign ad blitz is already well underway in the statewide Supreme Court race.

Democrat-backed Susan Crawford and Republican-backed Brad Schimel are competing for a 10-year term to replace a retiring justice. The race will determine whether liberals keep or lose their narrow majority on the state’s high court. By some estimates, it’s already become the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history.

Also on April 1, voters will decide whether conservative Brittany Kinser should unseat liberal State Superintendent Jill Underly in a position overseeing Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction. 

There’s also a referendum on statewide ballots that asks whether a voter ID requirement should be added to the state constitution.

State law already requires Wisconsin voters to provide a valid form of photo identification. But a constitutional amendment would be harder to undo, and it would serve as a bulwark against future legal challenges.

In addition to the statewide contests and referendum, voters will also weigh a variety of of local races.