Milwaukee polling places running out of ballots amid 'historic turnout' by voters

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The City of Milwaukee is running out of ballots due to "historic turnout" on Tuesday night, as Badger State residents stand in in line at polling places to decide whether the Wisconsin Supreme Court will lean conservative or liberal.

FOX 6 Milwaukee reporter Jason Calvi reported the developments on Tuesday night. At least seven polling sites have run out of ballots, per the Milwaukee Elections Commission. 

The sites are expecting more ballots soon, though the polls closed at 8 p.m. Milwaukee officials also noted that Wisconsin residents in line by 8 p.m. are still eligible to vote.

"We have dozens of field staff working to get resources to polling locations during rush hour," an official said, according to Calvi.

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Voters mark their ballots while voting at Waters Edge event venue in the state's Supreme Court election, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Milwaukee.  (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

The Wisconsin Supreme Court currently has a 4-3 liberal majority. 

The court race has attracted attention across the country, as both Democrat and Republican-aligned groups from outside Wisconsin have dedicated money and resources to swaying the race. It's been interpreted as a referendum on President Donald Trump's second administration so far. 

Notably, Tesla CEO Elon Musk hosted an America PAC town hall in Green Bay on Sunday night, where he handed two $1 million dollar checks to two voters who signed a petition against "activist judges."

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Voters wait in line to cast their ballots at a polling location during the Wisconsin Supreme Court election in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.  (Abra Richardson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul unsuccessfully asked for an emergency injunction to stop Musk from handing out the checks, but the state's highest court declined to hear Kaul's arguments. 

"The reason for the checks is that, it's really just to get attention," Musk said while holding a gigantic check. "It's like, we need to get attention… somewhat inevitably, when I do this… it causes the legacy media to, like, kind of lose their minds."

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Voters mark their ballots while voting at Centennial Hall at the Milwaukee Central Library on Election Day Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Milwaukee.  (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Musk's attorneys maintained that the payments are "intended to generate a grassroots movement in opposition to activist judges, not to expressly advocate for or against any candidate."

Fox News Digital's Sophia Compton and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can follow her on X at @andreamargs or send story tips to [email protected].