Former Franklin mayor Steve Olson is trying to write his way back into City Hall, launching a last-minute write-in campaign for the April 7 Spring Election after missing the Jan. 6 deadline to get his name printed on the ballot. Olson is urging residents to literally hand-write his name on their ballots and is pitching his return as a way to keep city government “strong, experienced and open.”
The printed ballot features just two mayoral names, John R. Nelson and Basil Ryan, with a blank write-in line that now doubles as Olson’s narrow path back to office. With a late entry and a three-way dynamic that could come down to a handful of votes, the race has suddenly become a lot less predictable.
As reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Olson said he jumped into the race “after long discussions with his wife” and publicly asked supporters to “write him in” in a Facebook post on Tuesday. The paper also notes that because Olson missed the Jan. 6 deadline to file nomination papers, his name will not appear on the printed ballot at all.
Ballot lineup and timing
The City of Franklin’s official City of Franklin sample ballot for the April 7 Spring Election shows Nelson and Ryan as the only printed mayoral candidates, with a blank line for voters to write in another choice. That ballot layout underscores the tight window Olson now faces to alert voters that his candidacy exists only on that empty line.
Olson’s record and comeback bid
Olson was first elected Franklin mayor in 2014 and served nine years before losing to John Nelson in April 2023, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. This write-in effort is his first public attempt to reclaim the office he once held.
How write-ins work in Wisconsin
Under Wisconsin practice, a write-in candidate who is running against names printed on the ballot generally must file a Campaign Registration Statement (CF-1) with the appropriate filing officer before raising or spending money. That registration is typically due by noon on the Friday before the election.
Local election guidance echoes that timing, according to the Town of Delavan. Applied to Franklin’s calendar, that would give Olson until noon on Friday, April 3 to register as a write-in candidate whose votes are normally counted.
What’s next
Olson’s move puts the clock on overdrive for everyone involved. He must decide whether to complete the formal write-in registration and quickly build enough voter awareness to matter in a low-margin race. Nelson and Ryan, safely printed on the ballot, will keep working the usual pre-election playbook as April 7 approaches.
City election officials, meanwhile, will follow state procedures when tallying any write-in votes and will certify the final results after the election. How many voters take the extra step to write in Olson’s name is now the wild card in Franklin’s mayoral contest.
