ACLU of Wisconsin Announces Campaign to Empower Voters In State Supreme Court Election

The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin today announced the launch of a joint campaign with the national ACLU to engage Wisconsin voters ahead of the state Supreme Court election on April 7.

The organizations are collectively spending $450,000 into a series of radio and digital advertisements on stations across Wisconsin and direct-to-voter mailers during the final weeks of the campaign, focusing on educating voters about where the candidates stand on key issues, including abortion rights, voting rights, and the civil liberties victories in cases that have come before the Wisconsin Supreme Court in recent years.

Starting in 2023, the ACLU and the ACLU of Wisconsin have spent more than $3.2 million in Supreme Court races in the state. While the organizations are nonpartisan and do not support or oppose candidates for office, they do educate voters about the pressing issues in races and candidates’ records. Since those initial investments, the new pro-civil liberties majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court has issued rulings to advance critical issues, including striking down a 150-year-old abortion ban that threatened access after Roe was overturned, striking down gerrymandered state legislative maps which paved the way for a more representative democracy, and affirming accessible voting options.

“The Wisconsin Supreme Court serves as the last line of defense for our rights,” said Dr. Melinda Brennan, Executive Director of the ACLU of Wisconsin. “As the federal government continues to overstep its authority and undermine core constitutional protections, it is more important than ever that we have a state Supreme Court that will relentlessly defend our rights.

“State Supreme Courts have never been so important,” Brennan added. “Wisconsin voters have shown up in droves for these elections for the past few years, and we need that same level of energy and engagement heading into 2026 and beyond to secure our fundamental rights.”

Wisconsin Supreme Court justices are responsible for interpreting the state constitution and applying state laws. Because so many decisions depend on this interpretation, the court has the power to make final rulings that impact our civil liberties and often recognize broader protections than those provided by the U.S. Constitution, serving as a crucial defense against attacks on our fundamental rights.

Make a plan to vote in the April 7 election at MyVote.WI.Gov.