Wisconsin Judge Rules Out New Absentee Ballots for Primary Voters
WHO:
AP News - Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez was seen as a Democratic frontrunner before she dropped out amid a campaign finance scandal.
AP News - Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley reentered the race a day after Rodriguez dropped out.
AP News - Dane County Circuit Judge David Conway ruled on the case.
AP News - Attorney Eduardo Castro represented the Democrats in court.
AP News - Don Millis is the Republican chair of the elections commission.
AP News - Devin Remiker is the chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party.
AP News - The Republican National Committee opposed the Democrats' efforts.
WHAT:
AP News - Rodriguez's name remains on the ballot, along with former state economic development director Missy Hughes, who dropped out in June.
AP News - The winner of the Democratic primary will advance to November’s general election, most likely against Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany.
AP News - A Wisconsin judge ruled that voters who have returned absentee ballots for the state’s primary cannot void those ballots and request new ones.
AP News - More than 117,000 absentee ballots had been returned by the time of the ruling.
AP News - The judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order sought by Democrats.
WHERE:
AP News - The ruling was made in Madison, Wisconsin.
AP News - A voter was seen walking out after voting at a polling place in Milwaukee.
WHEN:
AP News - The ruling occurred on a Wednesday.
AP News - Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out of the race on July 17.
AP News - Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley reentered the race a day after Rodriguez dropped out.
AP News - The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission voted on July 9 to distribute guidance regarding absentee ballots.
WHY:
AP News - Democrats filed a lawsuit seeking to give voters a do-over due to a chaotic party primary in the governor’s race.
AP News - Democrats filed a lawsuit seeking to allow voters a do-over due to a chaotic party primary in the governor’s race.
AP News - Democrats argued that state law allows voters who have submitted absentee ballots to change their mind before those ballots are counted on Election Day.
HOW:
AP News - Ballot spoiling was the subject of a 2022 lawsuit brought by a Republican group, which resulted in a Waukesha County judge agreeing that the elections commission must rescind its guidance that allowed voters to cast a second ballot.
AP News - The process of changing an absentee ballot after it has been returned is known as ballot spoiling.
AP News - The Wisconsin Elections Commission issued guidance stating that absentee voters cannot change their ballot after it has been returned.
(UPDATED July 30, 2026 07:56 UTC)
In a significant turn of events, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, once seen as a leading candidate, has dropped out of the Democratic primary amid a campaign finance scandal, while Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has reentered the race just a day later. Despite Rodriguez's exit, her name will still appear on the ballot alongside former state economic development director Missy Hughes, who withdrew in June, with the winner set to face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in the general election this November. Additionally, Democrats are pursuing a lawsuit for a do-over in the primary due to previous chaos, which follows a 2022 ruling that required the elections commission to change its guidance on ballot spoiling.
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(UPDATED July 29, 2026 23:20 UTC)
A Wisconsin judge has ruled that voters who have returned absentee ballots for the state’s primary cannot void those ballots and request new ones, a decision made in Madison by Circuit Judge David Conway. The ruling comes after Democrats sought a do-over due to issues in the chaotic party primary, but the judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order and noted that more than 117,000 absentee ballots had already been returned. This ruling aligns with guidance from the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which states that absentee voters cannot change their ballots once submitted.