If you watched this year's Super Bowl from a couch located within Wisconsin's state lines, you likely took note of the abundance of political ads sprinkled between commercials of Ben Affleck serving Dunkin' coffee, sad dogs and loads of new electric trucks.
But the volume of those political ads — all relating to a Wisconsin Supreme Court seat — magnified the importance of the nonpartisan primary that's currently open for early voting, with election day next Tuesday, Feb. 21.
Many voters in the state will only see that one item, the outcome of which will decide who appears on the ballot in the general election April 4. The field currently sits at four candidates — Dane County Judge Everett Mitchell, Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz, Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow and former Supreme Court Judge Daniel Kelly (you can learn more about them here).
To put it simply, next week's results are a first step toward deciding the court's political majority. If that sounds like something you'd like to have a say in, My Vote Wisconsin has you covered when it comes to the voting essentials, including:
- Checking your registration
- Finding where to vote in-person absentee (aka, early voting)
- Finding where to vote on election day
- Viewing a sample ballot
- Requesting an absentee ballot
If you’re not registered yet, you can do so at your polling place next Tuesday. The website has a step-by-step process to help you create the form you need, as well as information about the proof of residence required to register on the day of the election.
If the stakes aren't incentive enough, #iVoted Wisconsin announced a musically inclined one earlier this week. The nonpartisan, nonprofit group has partnered with several area venues to encourage voting by offering a chance to win tickets to more than 30 spring concerts in Milwaukee. You can learn more about how to enter and the shows up for grabs on the #iVoted Sweepstakes webpage.
