3 Reasons Why YOU Should Care About the Wisconsin Supreme Court Election This Spring

On June 24th, 2022 the Supreme Court of the United States decided to overturn Roe v. Wade, a monumental court decision that protected reproductive rights, notably the federal right to access an abortion. Many states such as Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Missouri, had “trigger law” bans established so the moment the ruling was overturned, getting an abortion would become illegal (CNN 2022). As of right now, 12 states have total bans on abortions, with an additional 5 states that ban abortions after a certain number of weeks (New York Times 2022). 

With the upcoming election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the battle for reproductive rights has found its way on the ballot once again. With the announcement of conservative leaning Justice Patience Roggensack’s retirement, the ideological balance of the court will be decided by this election (Montellaro and Messerly 2023). Even if you DON’T live in Wisconsin, here are three reasons why YOU should care about the Wisconsin Supreme Court Election. Make sure to read to the end of this blog as to how YOU can have an impact on the election and remind your friends and family in Wisconsin to get out the vote!

1. The outcome of this election could determine reproductive rights access to nearly 3 million individuals in Wisconsin. 

Two days before the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Republican controlled legislature in Wisconsin, denied repealing the 1849 law that banned access to abortion (Cole and Sneed 2022). This ultimately meant that after the overturn, getting an abortion immediately became illegal in Wisconsin. If a case gets presented to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to repeal the 1849 law, it could potentially reinstate access to critical reproductive health care to millions of women, non-binary, and transgender individuals. Having a pro-choice leaning justice majority would be vital.

2. Wisconsin’s Supreme Court could influence the 2024 presidential election.

The current state of Wisconsin’s districts have been heavily gerrymandered leading to dysfunction and inefficiency on “everything from COVID protocols to election rules” (Panetta 2023). A change in the majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court could lead to new policy outcomes regarding district lines, political maps, and elections. Wisconsin is already a key battleground state in presidential elections and these decisions can have an impact whether Wisconsin goes red or blue in 2024.

3. The last Wisconsin Supreme Court election was decided by less than 6,000 votes. Getting your friends and family from Wisconsin to get out the vote this election is vital in protecting Wisconsinites’ rights. 

Technically, the Wisconsin Supreme Court race is non-partisan but this is true in name only. In reality, both Democratic and Republican parties are trying to turn out votes for their preferred candidate (Schultz 2023). Special elections often receive lower voter turnout than larger state or federal elections. Three-fourths of eligible voters stayed home 4 years ago when the last Wisconsin Supreme Court election was held. With such a close election, each vote cast could tip the favor in either direction, meaning that every vote counts more than ever. Discover if you have friends or family in Wisconsin - now is a good time to remind them of their right to vote.

Here at Feel Good Action, we pride ourselves on making sure our allies have relevant and up-to-date information on important issues such as reproductive rights. You’d be surprised to find out who you know in Wisconsin! Make sure to share this blog and election guide with them, so they have a say in Wisconsin’s future!