Wisconsin judicial elections
Judges in Wisconsin participate in nonpartisan elections. Judges must run for re-election in nonpartisan elections for subsequent terms. Judicial elections are held in the state every year.[1] Wisconsin is one of four states that hold judicial elections every year, along with Louisiana, New York and Ohio.[2]
Wisconsin is one of 12 states that uses nonpartisan elections to select judges and does not use retention elections for subsequent terms. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.
Judges in Wisconsin are elected for the following term lengths:
| Supreme Court | Court of Appeals | Circuit Courts |
|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan elections - 10 year terms | Nonpartisan elections - Six-year terms | Nonpartisan elections - Six-year terms |
At the end of their terms, judges in Wisconsin may run for re-election.[3]
If a vacancy occurs for a judicial position mid-term, an advisory council on judicial selection will recommend three to five qualified candidates to the governor. The governor then appoints a candidate, but is not bound by the council's recommendations. The appointed candidate must run for election in the next judicial election.[3]
Elections
- Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2025
- Wisconsin intermediate appellate court elections, 2025
- Wisconsin intermediate appellate court elections, 2024
- Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2023
- Wisconsin intermediate appellate court elections, 2023
- Wisconsin intermediate appellate court elections, 2022
- Wisconsin intermediate appellate court elections, 2021
- Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2020
- Wisconsin intermediate appellate court elections, 2020
- Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2019
- Wisconsin intermediate appellate court elections, 2019
- Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2018
- Wisconsin intermediate appellate court elections, 2018
- Wisconsin local trial court judicial elections, 2018
- Wisconsin judicial elections, 2017
- Wisconsin judicial elections, 2016
- Wisconsin judicial elections, 2015
- Wisconsin judicial elections, 2014
- Wisconsin judicial elections, 2013
- Wisconsin judicial elections, 2012
- Wisconsin judicial elections, 2011
- Wisconsin judicial elections, 2010
- Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, 2009
Election rules
Primary election
A primary is held on the third Tuesday in February to nominate judicial candidates for the spring election. Candidates seeking election must file by the first Tuesday in January preceding the spring general election.[1] A primary is required if more than two candidates file for nomination to the supreme court, the same district of an appellate court, or for the same branch of a circuit court.[1] If the number of candidates for office does not exceed twice the number to be elected to the office a primary is not held and all the candidates will appear on the ballot in the spring election.[1] The two candidates who receive the most votes in a primary race advance to the general election.[3]
General election
A spring election is held on the first Tuesday in April.[1]
See also
External links
- American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Wisconsin"
- Wisconsin Government Accountability Board
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Wisconsin Legislative Council, "Overview of the Election Law in Wisconsin," archived March 31, 2014
- ↑ Judgepedia.org, "Judicial Elections by State," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Wisconsin," accessed March 31, 2014
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Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Wisconsin, Western District of Wisconsin
State courts:
Wisconsin Supreme Court • Wisconsin Court of Appeals • Wisconsin Circuit Courts • Wisconsin Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Wisconsin • Wisconsin judicial elections • Judicial selection in Wisconsin