This spring 2024, Primary Election Day is Tuesday, February 20, 2024. Spring 2024 General Election Day is Tuesday, April 2, 2024.
Wisconsin spring elections determine county supervisors, city mayors, city alderpersons, town board supervisors, municipal judges and local school board members. Sometimes other judges, such as for circuit court or WI Supreme Court, are on the ballot.
Spring elections are always “non-partisan,” meaning these positions are not officially connected to a political party. This does not, however, mean that the major parties ignore these elections. We CARE about who gets elected to local, county and school board seats because this is the level where decisions are made that most affect people’s day-to-day lives: your public schools, roads, property taxes, garbage pick up, snow plowing, parks, zoning and more. We’d like our representatives on these levels to share our values. Additionally, these positions often serve as stepping stones to positions on the state and national levels that ARE partisan, such as the state legislature, U.S. Congress and more.
When more candidates run for a seat than double the number of open positions (ex. 5 candidates for 2 open school board seats), a primary election is needed to narrow the field of candidates to no more than 2 for each open seat. Each municipality, township or school board may have differing numbers of candidates running for its open seats, so some areas of Jefferson County may hold a primary election while others do not.
A person can vote only for candidates running within the jurisdiction where he/she lives. So, if you live in Fort and a sibling lives in Helenville, the names on your ballots will be different.
Any eligible voter may run for a position by filing with the appropriate town clerk or school district clerk, or for county supervisor, with the county clerk. Filing to run for a position started December 1, 2023. The end date to file papers to be on the ballot is January 2, 2024. During this open time, candidates must obtain signatures of 20 to 100 voters in that jurisdiction. The appropriate clerk can help candidates obtain the correct forms.
Because Jefferson County is comprised of so many individual towns, villages, cities and school districts, many positions are open for this spring’s elections.
The following is a list offices that will be on the spring ballot:
- Presidential Preference
- Court of Appeals, District 4
- County Supervisors
- Municipal Offices (Town, Village, City)
- School Board Offices
If YOU are interested in running for one of these positions and would like our help, contact Kelli Rowley, Chair of the Jefferson Democratic Party, or Leigh Barker-Cheesebro, Candidate Recruitment.
If you know someone who you think should run or who would be good, encourage them! Contact us if you would like us to reach out to that person.
Visit wisdems.org/spring2024candidates to learn more:
- How To Run For Office – The Basics
- How To Get Elected – Tips and Tricks
- Answer Questions
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