The Spring Election is just two weeks away! On April 7, Dane County voters will head to the polls to vote in a number of non-partisan local, county, and state races, from the Madison School Board to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
In-person absentee voting locations opened today. Here’s what you need to know to go to the polls, and what to expect to see on your ballot
Register To vote
Check online and make sure you are registered to vote. The deadline to register online has passed, but you can still register at the city clerk’s office through Friday, April 3, or at your polling location on Election Day.
If you’ve changed addresses or your name since the last election, you’ll need to re-register. In addition to your voter ID, make sure to bring your proof of residence, this can be as simple as pulling up a recent utility bill or lease agreement on your phone.
Absentee Ballots
If you are registered, you can request an absentee ballot online by April 2 and track its progress to your mailbox. If you are planning to return it in the mail, though, do it as soon as possible so it gets counted! Elections officials advise allowing at least 10 days for your ballot to make it through the postal system, which would mean sending it back by March 28.
Otherwise, you can drop your ballot off at one of the 14 absentee drop boxes around town.In-person absentee ballot locations will be open through April 5.
No matter how you vote, here’s what you’ll see on the ballot.
Wisconsin Supreme Court
This year’s race for an open seat on the state’s highest court is relatively low-key compared to previous elections, because the liberal majority on the court will endure through 2028 no matter who wins. With conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley retiring, Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar, who is backed by Republicans, is running against Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor, who is backed by Democrats.
Dane County Circuit Court
In the race for Branch 1 seat, a civil court division that oversees family law cases, incumbent Judge Ben Jones is facing challenger Huma Ahsan.
Jones was appointed to the seat by Gov. Tony Evers last year after Susan Crawford was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He had previously served as chief legal counsel for the state Department of Public Instruction. Meanwhile, Ahsan runs an immigration law firm and served as a legislative attorney for Ho-Chunk Nation.
Dane County Board
All 37 Dane County Supervisor Seats are up for election, but only 13 of those elections are contested. In the Madison area, that includes:
District 2 on the northwest isthmus, with incumbent Heidi Wegleitner faces Carlos Rodriguez Lewison.
District 7 representing the Lake Wingra area, with incumbent Erin Welsh facing challenger John Fons.
District 9 on the far west side, with Simran Arora and Aria Trucios vying for an open seat.
District 12 covering the East Towne Mall area, incumbent Tommy Rylander facing challenger Sean Burke in a rematch of the 2024 race.
District 15 in Middleton, interim board member Amy Larson is facing challenger Nino Amato.
District 16 in northeast Madison, incumbent Rick Rose is challenged by Goodwill Obieze.
Madison City Council
Even-numbered seats on the city council are on the ballot this year, and only three of those feature contested races.
District 8 near the UW-Madison campus, two UW juniors, Bobby Gronert and Ellen Zhang, are competing for the open seat left by Ald. MGR Govindarajan.
District 14 on the south side, where Noah Lieberman and Kate Blood are competing for an open seat.
District 20 on the far west side, in the one city council race where an incumbent is being challenged, Ald. Barbara Harrington-McKinney faces Islam Khilji.
Madison School Board
There are two seats on the school board on the ballot. In Seat 6, incumbent Blair Mosner Feltham faces UW-Madison education researcher Daniella Molle. For Seat 7, incumbent Nicki Vander Meulen is being challenged by IT manager Dana Colussi-Lynde.
