Low Turnout as Early Voting Begins in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

Voters will choose between Republican-backed Maria Lazar and Democratic-backed Chris Taylor to replace conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 12:18am

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With less than two weeks until the April 7 election, early voting for the Wisconsin Supreme Court race is moving at a slower pace compared to this time last year. So far, 113,000 people have voted, which trails last year's total of nearly 700,000 absentee votes. The candidates are scheduled to debate next Thursday after Taylor missed the original date due to an unexpected hospital visit.

Why it matters

The Wisconsin Supreme Court race is an important election that will determine the balance of the state's highest court. While the court's ideological makeup is not at stake this year, the winner will still have a significant impact on key issues facing the state.

The details

Voters will choose between Republican-backed Maria Lazar and Democratic-backed Chris Taylor to replace conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley, who decided not to seek another 10-year term. Early voting numbers vary across the state's three largest counties, with Dane County (Taylor's home base) seeing about 18,000 ballots, Waukesha County (Lazar's home base) seeing about 13,000 votes, and Milwaukee County recording about 17,500 early votes.

  • Early voting began on Tuesday, March 24th.
  • The candidates are scheduled to debate next Thursday, after Taylor missed the original date due to an unexpected hospital visit.

The players

Maria Lazar

The Republican-backed candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court race.

Chris Taylor

The Democratic-backed candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court race.

Rebecca Bradley

The conservative Justice who decided not to seek another 10-year term on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

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What they’re saying

“With less than two weeks until the April 7 election, early voting for the Wisconsin Supreme Court race is moving at a slower pace compared to this time last year.”

— Charles Benson, Reporter

What’s next

The candidates are scheduled to debate next Thursday, after Taylor missed the original date due to an unexpected hospital visit. There are 11 days left to vote before election day on April 7.

The takeaway

The Wisconsin Supreme Court race is an important election that will determine the direction of the state's highest court, even though the court's ideological makeup is not at stake this year. The low early voter turnout so far suggests that voter enthusiasm may not be as high as in previous high-profile state Supreme Court elections.