Absentee ballots by mail are now available and early in-person voting has started statewide for the upcoming spring primary election on Tuesday, February twenty-first. The only statewide race is for the state supreme court, a ten-year term. Four candidates are on the ballot; the top two vote-getters will move on to the general election on Tuesday, April fourth. Voters will vote for only one candidate in the primary supreme court race. Sample ballots, polling place information, and more is available at myvote.wi.gov.

News outlets and other political pundits are saying our state supreme court race is the most important race this year—and that’s because the balance of the court is at stake. Currently it leans conservative; with this one election it could swing liberal. This is an opportunity for voters to make a difference that will last for at least the next decade and likely well beyond.