Dec. 1 was the first day prospective candidates could begin circulating nomination papers. The deadline to file all papers is 5 p.m. Jan. 6.
The election is April 7, with primaries held Feb. 17 in races with more than two candidates on the ballot.
Positions up for election include:
- All 23 seats on the Kenosha County Board
- County Executive
- All 17 seats on the City of Kenosha Common Council
- Seats on various village, town and school boards throughout the county
Statewide and regionally, there are open races for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice and 2nd District Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge.
A full list of seats up for election this spring and in future elections is available at https://bit.ly/2026ElectionChart.
In order to centralize relevant information for people interested in running for a county office, County Clerk Regi Waligora’s office recently compiled a new webpage, “How to Run for County Elected Office,” available at: https://bit.ly/RunningForOfficeInKenoshaCounty.
“We wanted to create a one-stop spot to make it easy for potential candidates to find what they need to do to get on the ballot,” Waligora said. “The page lays out step-by-step what forms need to be filed and what deadlines need to be met.”
Nomination papers and other election documents are filed with the County Clerk’s Office for county offices; with the requisite city, village or town for municipal elections; and with the corresponding school district for school board seats.
Signature requirements for nomination petitions vary. Candidates for County Executive need to collect 500 to 1,000 valid signatures; County Board candidates need 100 to 200 from district residents; and the total for Kenosha Common Council candidates is 20 to 40. School Board requirements vary by district.
Incumbents who are not seeking re-election are required to file a declaration of non-candidacy by 5 p.m. Dec. 26.
Voters who are not registered may do so online at https://myvote.wi.gov/, in person at their municipal clerk’s office by mail to their municipal clerk, or at the polls on Election Day.