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ELECTION RESULTS BELOW: Polls start closing in less than an hour now. 

April Fool’s Day may seem to be an odd one to hold an election, but then again, many people worry that our elections in America have become something of a joke.

They aren’t, of course, even though a conversation with any Republican insider will give you a sour view of how elections are conducted in our fine country.

The ridiculously amateur execution of the process, the concerted effort to prevent any sort of ballot security, and the inability of Democrats – why is it always in Deep Blue states and localities that counting votes is beyond their ken? – to come up with results in a timely manner, have left Republicans deeply cynical.

I have spoken to a number of establishment insiders – not conspiracy theorists, but people who have navigated the process for decades, often successfully – who will casually tell you that Republicans will lose most races in contested areas unless they have a buffer of 3-4% in vote totals.

They just assume, with reasons, that Democrats cheat and are resigned to that reality. “Too big to rig” is not just a slogan – it is the strategy of every Republican running for office in a competitive district.

Off-year, and especially non-November, elections are especially tough for Republicans. The majority are barely aware that an election is taking place, and the motivation to vote is much lower than in presidential years. This is true for both Democrats and Republicans, but Democrats have a huge built-in advantage despite this.

A huge fraction of their voters are public employees and teachers’ union members, and for them, all these elections are existential. Controlling the levers of government is not just nice for them but directly tied to their pay and power. Winning these off-year elections gives them enormous – outsized – influence.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court race is a case in point. The battle is for control of the US Congress, not just a judicial seat in a middle-sized state. The Court has control over redistricting, and the liberal candidate is promising to redraw Congressional District lines to take two seats from Republicans and give them to Democrats. Hence, the interest.

Then, there is the Wisconsin ballot question on Voter ID:

There is even a race for the Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction that people are watching:

In Florida, there are two House races to fill vacant seats, and they are important for the next two years. Results are here:

Special elections are often seen as bellweathers for the next general election. Generally speaking, I think that notion is overblown, especially when the elections are this far out from the 2026 elections.

But they still matter. A lot.

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