- Brad Schimel cites Milwaukee’s late ballot reporting as fraud risk ahead of pivotal April 1 election
- Past elections saw result shifts after midnight absentee ballot dumps
- Milwaukee’s centralized counting process follows state law but fuels conspiracy theories
- Billionaire donors pour millions into campaigns from both parties
- Court’s future rulings on abortion, voting rights hinge on election outcome
With control of Wisconsin’s Supreme Court at stake, Republican-backed candidate Brad Schimel has reignited debates about election integrity by questioning Milwaukee’s ballot reporting timelines. During a recent conservative radio interview, Schimel referenced 2018 and 2022 instances where late-arriving absentee votes altered apparent leads, though he acknowledged no concrete evidence of wrongdoing.
Milwaukee officials emphasize their process complies with state regulations prohibiting early ballot processing. The city’s 2020 presidential election results – which helped secure Joe Biden’s victory – followed the same counting procedures now under scrutiny. Nearly 50,000 absentee ballots reported after midnight in 2018 propelled Democrat Tony Evers past incumbent Scott Walker, while over 100,000 Milwaukee votes in 2022 narrowed Republican Eric Hovde’s early lead against Tammy Baldwin.
Political analysts note this pattern mirrors national trends where close margins in urban centers trigger fraud allegations. A 2023 Brennan Center study found Midwest battleground states average 14-hour delays in finalizing metro-area results due to mail ballot verification rules. Unlike Detroit and Chicago, which begin preprocessing ballots days earlier, Wisconsin law mandates Milwaukee’s 170+ precincts deliver physical ballots to a single counting center post-polls.
Campaign finance records reveal high-profile backers on both sides. Groups tied to Elon Musk contributed $11 million to Schimel’s campaign, while Democratic donors like George Soros and J.B. Pritzker support Susan Crawford. This financial arms race highlights growing national interest in state judiciaries, with spending in Wisconsin’s court races doubling since 2020.
As the April 1 election nears, both campaigns face pressure to address voter confidence issues. Milwaukee election commissioner Claire Woodall-Vogg urges candidates to “explain legal processes instead of seeding doubt.” Meanwhile, the court’s pending docket – including challenges to Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban and GOP-drawn legislative maps – ensures its ideological balance will have lasting policy impacts.
