As we enter the first months of a new U.S. presidential administration and a new Congress, it’s clear to us at Vote Forward that our work to support voter engagement and protect democracy has never been more important. We’re excited to bring you the first letter writing campaigns of 2025, focused on the important upcoming race for Wisconsin’s next Supreme Court Justice.

Wisconsin’s 2025 Supreme Court Race

On April 1, 2025, Wisconsin voters will choose either Judge Susan Crawford or Judge Brad Schimel to join an open seat on the state Supreme Court. Though this race is nonpartisan, meaning that neither candidate is running as a member of a political party, Crawford is widely perceived to be aligned with liberals, and Schimel with conservatives. After the April 2023 Supreme Court election (for which Vote Forward letter writers wrote over 350,000 letters!), the Court’s balance shifted to a 4-3 liberal majority. This year’s election could either preserve the Court’s existing liberal ideological balance, or shift it to a 4-3 conservative majority.

Why write letters to Wisconsin?

In the words of the League of Women Voters, “[Wisconsin’s] race has been called the most important election of the year—and for good reason”. In the next few years, Wisconsin’s Supreme Court will rule on multiple issues that have profound implications for the people of Wisconsin, including whether the state’s constitution establishes a right to abortion. In recent years the Court has also ruled on multiple cases that impact voting rights and access, including early voting, voter ID, ballot drop boxes, and gerrymandered maps.

The consequences of this year’s election aren’t limited to just one state. Wisconsin is a critical swing state in national elections, so what happens here in 2025 could impact control of the U.S. House in 2026 and even the presidency in 2028. To quote our colleagues at Swing Left, “Maintaining or winning control of key state courts like Wisconsin is necessary to the larger, existential fight to preserve our democratic institutions.”

In this critical race, grassroots efforts to turn out voters could end up making a big difference, as the margins are expected to be tight. Many voters, even those who participate in big national elections like 2020 or 2024, don’t usually show up in “off-year” elections like this one — so it’s even more important for us to reach out and engage these voters now.

Our letter campaigns

Starting February 25, you can write and send letters to Wisconsin voters through the mail deadline of March 25, 2025. You can choose from Vote Forward’s two letter writing campaigns for Wisconsin: our Social campaign to younger voters, and our Political campaign to Democratic-leaning voters. The voters in both campaigns are listed as relatively unlikely to vote, according to our data, so your letters could really make a difference in whether they choose to show up for April’s election.

As with all your Vote Forward letters, we ask that you follow our best practices for crafting a compelling and authentic personal story about why voting matters to you. You can review our guidance here, and read on below for a few Wisconsin-specific FAQs.

• Can I tell my letter recipient to vote for Susan Crawford?
  • You can mention issues that align with a particular candidate — e.g., your story can mention reproductive healthcare — but please do not tell your letter recipient to vote for a specific candidate. This is both for legal reasons and because our letters’ main goal is to motivate voters to turn out, not to tell them how to vote. We’ve already included information about both candidates, as well as resources for voters to learn more, in the letter templates.
• Can I write about Elon Musk, Donald Trump, or other national figures that are involved with Wisconsin’s race?
  • We ask that you keep your personal message centered on your authentic story, and topics that will resonate with voters in Wisconsin. While for some voters, mentioning national figures such as Musk or Trump may be motivating, for others they may be a turn-off. Remember, these voters will likely receive many political messages and advertisements around this election, and Vote Forward’s letters stand out because they are authentic letters that come from real people (like you!), and don’t sound like standard “political mail”. Our research has shown that these kinds of personal story messages are extra effective at increasing voter turnout.
• Can I include a printed copy of the Guides.vote Wisconsin guide, or otherwise “enhance” my letters?
  • Yes! If you feel excited to go the extra mile, you may include a printed version of the guide, or decorate your letters/envelopes with drawings, stickers, or other “enhancements” to make them stand out even more. We ask that you steer clear of explicitly partisan inserts or decorations.
• Will there be stamp or letter kits available?
  • Stamp and letter kits will be available to request between February 25 and March 11, for our Social campaign only. If you don’t have a printer and/or need assistance with letter supplies, you can learn more about our kits program through our support page.