In Madison, Wisconsin, early voting turnout for the crucial state Supreme Court race is significantly higher than it was two years ago, illustrating the high level of interest in this pivotal election. The race has broken spending records and attracted notable attention from President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk.
By Tuesday, a week before the voting deadline, early voting numbers soared by nearly 48% compared to a similar period two years prior, as reported by the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Over 345,000 voters have cast their ballots through mail or in-person early voting, representing a marked increase from the 233,000 who had done so during a previous Supreme Court contest.
The outcome of this election is set to decide if the court will continue with a 4-3 liberal margin or switch to a conservative majority, with one liberal justice retiring this year. The race has emerged as a significant proxy battle on the national political stage. Trump and Musk have endorsed Brad Schimel, the candidate supported by Republican backers, in this ostensibly nonpartisan election.
Trump urged voters to support Schimel early, posting on Truth Social about the importance of doing so. Financial records indicate that total expenditures on this particularly expensive judicial race have exceeded $81 million, which eclipses the $56 million spent in 2023’s Supreme Court race in Wisconsin. Musk has played a role, having contributed $3 million to the Wisconsin Republican Party, likely benefiting Schimel’s campaign.
This substantial financial involvement has fueled early voter turnout, according to Kevin Kennedy, previously an elections officer in Wisconsin and now a consultant. Kennedy noted significant resources being invested in motivating voters to participate early.
Despite earlier criticisms of early voting, Trump and the Republican Party are now pushing for their electorate to vote before the official deadline on April 1, a strategy that aligns with their successful approach during the last presidential election. This has been evident in increased voter activity within traditionally conservative counties in Wisconsin.
Schimel’s opponent, Susan Crawford, a Dane County Circuit Judge supported by Democrats, has gathered more than $25 million for her campaign, including substantial funds from state Democratic sources since February. Her prominent supporters include Democratic figures such as donor George Soros and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
While Schimel, a judge from Waukesha County, has raised over $12 million with significant aid from the Republican Party, external groups have compensated for any shortfall in campaign finances. As of Monday, candidate and external group expenditures reached around $81 million, with Schimel’s allies spending approximately $46 million versus Crawford’s $36 million.
Because Wisconsinites do not register with political affiliations, distinguishing the partisan split among early voters is difficult; however, increases have been noted in both Democratic and Republican strongholds. Milwaukee County, a Democratic leaning area, led with 54,750 ballots returned, up 46% from two years prior. Similarly, Dane County experienced a 46% rise in participation.
Republican-dominant areas have also shown significant increases. In the suburban Milwaukee ‘WOW’ counties—Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington—ballot returns were substantially higher, particularly in Washington County where figures doubled.
Despite these marked increases in early voting numbers, the current figures still lag behind those of the presidential elections. For comparison, nearly a million voters had already participated a week before the presidential election in 2020.
This current Supreme Court election is set against a backdrop of critical issues where the court’s decisions could impact abortion laws, district restructuring, labor rights, and voting processes in Wisconsin.
In a recent event, Democratic U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries emphasized the importance of electing Crawford, claiming that ensuring a liberal majority might facilitate the redrawing of congressional districts, a significant issue in the state despite its swing status. Schimel, however, has accused Crawford of making promises to manipulate the district lines, which she has consistently denied.