More than two million people had been expected to vote to decide the balance of the state’s Supreme Court, as Elon Musk is paying $50 to anyone who uploads a photo of a resident outside a precinct.
Polls were closing on Tuesday evening in Wisconsin, where officials were counting ballots in a nearly $100 million race for control of the State Supreme Court.
Steady streams of voters were reported through the day at polling places in a race that will decide the ideological tilt of the state’s high court and has drawn intense attention well beyond Wisconsin’s borders. Election officials said that early voting turnout had surpassed 600,000 votes, suggesting that total turnout could surpass two million.
Late Tuesday, officials in Milwaukee said that the high turnout had caused ballot shortages, but they were rushing to replenish the supply.
Elon Musk, the tech billionaire and White House adviser, has poured millions for advertisements and canvassing into the race, which has become the most expensive judicial race in American history. Mr. Musk, who has gained sweeping authority over the government through President Trump, has become a deeply polarizing figure among Wisconsinites — many of whom said they would like to see him stay out of their business.
“Does my face say it all?” said Lydia Vela, 54, a banker who grimaced at the sound of Mr. Musk’s name. “He’s scary.”
Ms. Vela, a Democrat, said she hoped that a victory for Judge Susan Crawford, the liberal State Supreme Court candidate, over the conservative contender, Brad Schimel, would send a message that billionaires like Mr. Musk should not take a role in local politics. The race is officially nonpartisan, but voters said they were well aware of the candidates’ political leanings and alliances.
