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Wednesday, Jul 29, 2026

Can you ‘cross over’ vote in multiple parties in a Wisconsin primary?

Hope Karnopp / Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch
no

In Wisconsin’s partisan primaries, like the one happening Aug. 11, voters must choose a party section and only vote for candidates within that column.

On a partisan primary ballot, voters must first select which party’s primary they want to vote in.

Instructions on Aug. 11 ballot templates explain that if voters mark a party at the start of the ballot, votes cast in any other party won’t be counted. 

If voters don’t make a party selection, then vote for candidates in more than one party, none of their votes will be counted.

State law requires polling places to prominently display these rules for partisan primaries.

So, if Republican voters want to strategically vote for a Democrat they think would lose to Tom Tiffany in the governor’s race Nov. 3, they forgo participating in GOP primaries for lieutenant governor, secretary of state and some state Legislature and congressional seats.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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