Wisconsin doesn’t vote Nov. 4, but here are the 2026 election dates

While voters in places like New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 4, Wisconsinites have to wait a bit longer before returning to the voting booth.

Barring an extraordinary circumstance like a special election to fill a vacant office, Wisconsin doesn’t have any elections for the rest of 2025.

Wisconsin has four regularly scheduled elections in 2026 — two in spring and two in fall.

Here are those dates to add to your calendar:

Wisconsin spring primary: Feb. 17, 2026

This primary is held to narrow down candidates for local, nonpartisan offices such as court of appeals judges and school board members.

Only two candidates have announced campaigns for state Supreme Court — appeals court judges Chris Taylor and Maria Lazar — so a statewide primary is unlikely in that race.

Wisconsin spring election: April 7, 2026

Candidates for local offices who move on from the Feb. 17 election will appear on this ballot.

In this election, Wisconsinites will elect the next state Supreme Court justice, which is officially a nonpartisan race despite attracting heavy political involvement in recent years.

Wisconsin partisan primary: Aug. 11, 2026

This is the fall primary, when voters will narrow down choices for partisan offices. A Democratic and Republican nominee for governor will emerge from a crowded field of candidates on this ballot.

Depending on where you live, you may also see primaries on your ballot if several candidates are running for a seat in the state Legislature or the U.S. House of Representatives.

Wisconsin general election: Nov. 3, 2026

Also called the general election, voters will make their final choices for partisan offices on this day. That includes governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state Legislature and members of Congress.

You may also hear this election called the “midterms” since it’s in the middle of the four-year presidential term. In 2026, it’ll determine which party holds control of Congress. All of Wisconsin’s House seats are on the ballot, but neither Sen. Ron Johnson nor Sen. Tammy Baldwin are up for reelection in 2026.

What does Wisconsin vote for in 2026?

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel will be closely following campaigns for governor, attorney general, state Legislature, Congress and more.

Here are candidate guides and related coverage for campaigns that have been announced, though more could be added. Expect updates in the coming months as candidates continue rolling out their policy ideas.

Supreme Court (nonpartisan): Chris Taylor, Maria Lazar.

Governor: Democrats — Sara Rodriguez, Ryan Strnad, David Crowley, Kelda Roys, Francesca Hong, Brett Hulsey, Missy Hughes, Zachary Roper. Republicans — Josh Schoemann, Tom Tiffany.

Attorney general: Democrats — Josh Kaul. Republicans — Eric Toney.

You can register to vote anytime online in Wisconsin

While you can’t exercise your right to vote quite yet, you can make sure you’re prepared by registering to vote or checking your registration status at myvote.wi.gov.

You can update your information in the system if you’ve changed your name or moved addresses since the last election.

Hope Karnopp can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin doesn’t vote Nov. 4, but here are the 2026 election dates

Reporting by Hope Karnopp, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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