Wisconsin

Here’s what to know about Wisconsin’s April 1 election, Supreme Court race

Published

1 year ago

March 4, 2025

Here’s what to know about Wisconsin’s April 1 election, Supreme Court race

In less than a month, Wisconsin voters will head to the polls for an election that will determine the state Supreme Court’s partisan control, select who holds local offices and possibly elevate the voter ID law to the state constitution.

Wisconsin’s spring election is April 1. Candidates who advanced from the Feb. 18 primary will appear on the April ballot.

There are plenty of deadlines to keep in mind before April 1, including when you can register to vote online, request an absentee ballot or vote early.

Here’s a guide to what Wisconsin votes for in April and information you’ll need to cast your ballot:

What does Wisconsin vote for in April election? Wisconsin Supreme Court? Wisconsin schools superintendent?

The April ballot includes a high-profile state Supreme Court race. There was no February primary since only two candidates are running: conservative Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel and liberal Dane County Judge Susan Crawford. The winner will replace longtime liberal justice Ann Walsh Bradley, who’s not running for reelection.

If Crawford wins, the court will keep its liberal majority. If Schimel wins, the court will switch to conservative control. The candidates will debate March 12 on WISN.

Voters will also choose Wisconsin’s superintendent of public instruction. Jill Underly, a Democrat, is running for reelection. Education consultant Brittany Kinser is backed by conservatives. A third challenger, Sauk Prairie Superintendent Jeff Wright, did not advance from the primary.

The April ballot also includes a statewide referendum question, asking if Wisconsin’s law requiring voters to show photo identification should be enshrined in the state constitution. Republicans pursued the referendum in part to protect the law from being overturned by a liberal-controlled Supreme Court.

Other local races on your ballot depend on where you live. Those may include spots on the city council, school board or judgeships. Many school districts also have funding referendums on the ballot. You can see what your ballot will look like ahead of time at myvote.wi.gov.

When can I register to vote for the Wisconsin April election?

There are a few ways to register to vote. If you want to register online at myvote.wi.gov, the deadline is March 12. That’s also the deadline to register by mail by sending your clerk a completed voter registration form.

Or, you can register in-person at your local clerk’s office until March 28 at 5 p.m. Wisconsin also has same-day voter registration, so you can register at the polls on April 1.

With any of these registration options, make sure to bring a proof of residence document that shows you live at your current address. This could be a utility bill, paystub or lease, for example.

When can I request an absentee ballot for the Wisconsin April election?

The deadline for most voters to request an absentee ballot is March 27 at 5 p.m. Deadlines are slightly longer for indefinitely confined, military or hospitalized voters.

If you’ve already requested an absentee ballot, your clerk must send it out by March 11. If you make a request after that day, your clerk must mail it out within two business days.

You will need to provide a photo ID when requesting an absentee ballot, just like you would when voting at the polls. The Wisconsin Elections Commission has a full list of acceptable photo IDs. Examples include a driver’s license, state ID card, tribal ID card or passport.

How do I return my absentee ballot for the Wisconsin April election?

If you want to send your ballot back through the mail, election officials generally recommend doing so at least a week in advance, or March 25.

There are other ways to return your absentee ballot, including bringing it to your polling place or central count location on Election Day, your clerk’s office or a drop box. It’s a good idea to check your clerk’s website to see if they have specific instructions for returning your ballot.

When can I vote early in the Wisconsin April election?

Clerks may hold in-person, absentee voting between March 18 and 30. It’s up to each community to decide how many days and locations to offer early voting. You can check myvote.wi.gov or contact your clerk to ask about availability.

Keep in mind that Wisconsin doesn’t allow voter registration on the Saturday, Sunday or Monday before an election. If you need to register or re-register, you can do so at early voting locations through March 28, or wait until Election Day to register at the polls.

Where do I find my polling place on Election Day for the Wisconsin April election?

You can find your polling place by typing your address into “Find My Polling Place” at myvote.wi.gov. Polls are always open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day in Wisconsin.

If your city offers early voting locations, you can’t just go to any of those on Election Day. You must go to your assigned polling place.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin multi-county police chase, 2 people from Illinois arrested

Published

44 minutes ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin multi-county police chase, 2 people from Illinois arrested

article

Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office

FOND DU LAC COUNTY, Wis. – Two people from Illinois were arrested following a police chase that started in Fond du Lac County and ended in Winnebago County on Friday, May 8.

Initial traffic stop

What we know:

According to the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, just after 1 p.m. the sheriff’s office got an alert for a stolen vehicle out of Illinois heading northbound on I-41 from County Road Y.

It was learned that the vehicle was involved in two different police chases in the past week in Illinois, but had eluded officers each time.

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A short time later, a deputy spotted the vehicle on I-41 near Winnebago Street. The deputy continued to follow the suspect vehicle northbound, waiting for more deputies to get into position to attempt a high-risk traffic stop. Once those deputies were in position, a high-risk traffic stop was conducted. The vehicle initially pulled over and stopped, but right after deputies got out of their squad cars and started telling the people to get out of the vehicle, it instead fled northbound on I-41.

Chase into Winnebago County

What we know:

The chase went into Winnebago County, with the vehicle failing to pullover and instead speeding up. As the chase continued, the vehicle continued driving recklessly, passing by other vehicles on the interstate, including passing on the shoulder and weaving between vehicles, all at a high rate of speed.

The vehicle exited I-41 and ran three red lights. The chase continued southbound on State Highway 26, with the vehicle continuing to pass vehicles at a high rate of speed on the two-lane highway.

The vehicle then went off the road and drove through the yard of a home before circling around in the yard, traveling through the ditch, and reentering the highway going northbound. It then went into a field near County Road Z and Clay Road.

As a sergeant with the sheriff’s office was moving in to perform a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT Maneuver), the suspect vehicle went into reverse and rammed the front of the squad. The vehicle then attempted to leave the field by traveling through a ditch and back up onto the road, where another sheriff’s squad ended the chase by intentionally striking the vehicle and pushing it off the road and back into the ditch.

The vehicle rolled over in the ditch, came to rest upright, but was then disabled and could not move. Two people got out of the vehicle and were taken into custody. The vehicle started on fire and a fire department had to respond to extinguish the fire. Both people from the vehicle were evaluated by medical personnel on scene.

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Facing charges

What we know:

The driver of the vehicle was identified as a 23-year-old man from Des Plaines, Illinois. He was taken to the Fond du Lac County Jail on the following charges:

Fleeing/Eluding an Officer
1st-Degree Reckless Endangering Safety (2 Counts)
Resisting/Obstructing Officer
Delivering Illegal Articles by Inmate (Ecstasy Pills).

The driver’s criminal history in Illinois was flagged as armed and dangerous with previous weapons offenses, dangerous drug offenses, and criminal damage to property.

The passenger of the vehicle was identified as a 23-year-old woman from Franklin Park, Illinois. She was taken to the Fond du Lac County Jail on the following charges:

Fleeing/Eluding—Party to a Crime
1st Degree Reckless Endangering Safety—Party to a Crime
Possession of THC
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Resisting and Obstructing an Officer

The Source: The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office sent FOX6 a press release.

Police ChasesFond du Lac CountyNews

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Wisconsin

Stepmom from hell accused of starving 35-pound teen daughter enters plea — could spend the rest of her life behind bars

Published

13 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

Stepmom from hell accused of starving 35-pound teen daughter enters plea — could spend the rest of her life behind bars

The Wisconsin stepmother from hell accused of abusing her 35-pound 14-year-old daughter by depriving her of food and water has entered a no-contest plea in the twisted case.

Melissa Goodman, 52, now faces up to 46 years in prison if she’s handed the maximum sentence for charges of chronic neglect causing great bodily harm, chronic neglect causing emotional damage and false imprisonment.

She’s set to be sentenced on July 1.

Goodman, along with husband Walter Goodman, have been accused of starving her autistic stepdaughter. Outagamie County Jail

Goodman, along with husband Walter Goodman, has been accused of starving her autistic stepdaughter.

Goodman’s daughter Savanna Goodman and her girlfriend Kayla Stemler were also charged over the alleged abuse, People reported.

The family is accused of locking the teen in a bedroom without a mattress, restricting her to only her room for years and depriving her of food and water, according to Wisconsin prosecutors.

The mobile home they lived in became a house of horrors for the teenager, who was mistaken for a 6-year-old when she was found by cops in August 2025 and rushed to the hospital.

Walter Goodman, the victim’s father, called 911 to report that his daughter was lethargic and ill.

Responding officers found her weighing just 35 pounds; she was hospitalized with multi-organ dysfunction, including respiratory failure and pancreatitis.

Melissa Goodman — Walter Goodman, the victim’s father, called 911 to report that his daughter was lethargic and ill. WBAY TV-2 | Green Bay, WI/YouTube

From 2020 until August 2025, the victim, whose name is not disclosed because she is a minor, was allegedly isolated in a trailer on Hattie Lane, in Oneida, Wisconsin.

Extended family members were told she was away on vacation or with other relatives to explain her absence.

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Wisconsin

‘Song Sung Blue’ subject Claire Sardina playing Wisconsin State Fair

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

‘Song Sung Blue’ subject Claire Sardina playing Wisconsin State Fair

When “Song Sung Blue” – the biopic about Milwaukee Neil Diamond tribute act Lightning & Thunder – had a premiere at the Oriental Theatre in Milwaukee last December, star Hugh Jackman gave Claire Sardina (played in the film by Kate Hudson) an engraved bench honoring Lighting & Thunder to be installed at Wisconsin State Fair Park.

In August, Sardina will get to have a seat on that bench – and sing again on a State Fair stage.

Sardina will perform with tribute act So Good: The Neil Diamond Experience Aug. 9 at the Bank Five Nine Amphitheater, the largest stage at the fair featuring free concerts with admission.

For Sardina, it will be a return to a place central to Lighting & Thunder. The band performed in the Milwaukee area from 1989 until Mike Sardina, aka Lightning, passed away in 2006. The State Fair was one of their favorite places to play, and the couple got married there in 1994.

The couple’s wild story – from a performance at a Pearl Jam Summerfest concert to major health issues – was the subject of the documentary “Song Sung Blue” that inspired the biopic, and earned Hudson an Oscar nomination for portraying Claire Sardina.

Fair officials May 8 revealed the full headliner lineup for the stage, which includes: