let us rejoice!

Ding dong, the Gerrymander is dead! Or maybe in hospice care while we await the Wisconsin Supreme Court's final judgment. Then just like that representative democracy will have a real chance of emerging from years of subordination to the tyranny of the (often) minority. I'm sure you've been treated to lots of celebrations in Wisconsin and in the national media as well as on various online publications. I've collected a few for your celebratory delight:

Ben Wikler, posting on Daily Kos: BREAKING: WI Gov Evers signs new state legislative maps. The nightmare of gerrymandering is over.;
Wisconsin’s new legislative maps are a win for democracy on Vox;
In Mother Jones, Ari Berman writes The Long Era of Republican Gerrymandering in Wisconsin May Finally Be Over;
The offering of the New York Times (gifted), New Wisconsin Legislative Maps Diminish G.O.P. Advantage;
The Washington Post (gifted): Wisconsin’s Democratic governor signs his new legislative maps into law after Republicans pass them;
Wisconsin governor signs new maps, ending GOP gerrymanders for a graphic depiction of the new maps together with an analysis of what they mean.

But the work to ensure fair election maps forever more is not yet complete. The next step is electing a legislature that will pass a law to make sure the maps are drawn by nonpartisans with political neutrality an explicit measure. After that milestone, the stretch goal should be a constitutional amendment mandating fair maps and a nonpartisan process for achieving them. North Shore Fair Maps and the Fair Maps Coalition are on the case.

Meanwhile we have a low-key but VITAL ELECTION coming up on April 2. Your ballot may offer few if any competitive races; nevertheless the value of your vote is priceless. Not only does the April 2 election double as the presidential primary in Wisconsin, it presents two so-called "ballot questions" — really two proposed amendments to the Wisconsin Constitution. Grassroots North Shore is hosting a webinar on these proposals on Sunday, March 17, from 5:00 - 6:15pm. Doug Poland, a Madison-based lawyer with a long career fighting for democracy, and State Senator Mark Spreitzer, a Democrat from Beloit, will help us understand what the amendments really say and mean. They'll also explain why they are on the ballot in the first place. You can visit the Grassrooots North Shore web page devoted to the amendments. And of course you should sign up to attend the webinar.

The League of Women Voters is also holding a forum on the ballot questions on Tuesday, February 27, from 6:00 - 7:30pm. Their speakers are Joan Swartz, a retired civil law attorney, and Michael Haas, the Madison City Attorney with a background working for the Wisconsin Elections Commission. You can sign up for this forum here.

Now an earnest plea for help: The primary, such as it was this year, is in the rearview mirror. Now the serious work of electing great candidates begins. Please pitch in any way that you can. Grassroots North Shore has distributed 4700+ postcards to be written and mailed between now and the end of the month. So we'll start phoning card recipients to let them know how serious the proposed amendments to the Wisconsin Constitution is and urging them to vote. To make 4700 phone calls, though, we need lots and lots of volunteers. Please let me know that you will help: email me or text me at 443-465-1920.

For information on the races in your area, visit our Elections 2024 pages. On that index page, you will find links to the election by community, school board elections by community, and judicial races by community. You will also find information about your registration status, requesting absentee ballots for the April election as well as the partisan primary on August 13 and the general election on November 5. And if you are fortunate enough to be able to donate to one or more candidates, we have a page detailing contribution limits for every office — national, state, and local.

You probably know all there is to know about how to vote in Wisconsin. But it never hurts to refresh your memory or provide information that may be useful to a new voter you might know. So here it is.

Simple Rules for Voting in Wisconsin

Voting by absentee ballot is, we think, an effective, sound and secure strategy. For one thing, the ballot typically arrives about three weeks before election day. That means you can take some time to bone up on candidates' qualifications and stands as you chose how you're going to vote for each office. Plus it's an insurance policy in case of unexpected illness or a sudden and unexpected need to travel on election day.

There are several rules for absentee ballots you must observe.

A witness must sign the ballot certification envelope in which you return your ballot.
The witness must fill in his/her/their complete address, including street number, street name, municipality and zip code. Although municipal clerks can now "cure" absentee ballots with any information that's missing, it's much safer if you make sure your witness completes the form properly.
You must sign the certification envelope.
Finally, you return your ballot to your municipal clerk, either by posting it in the US Mail or by taking it in person to your clerk's office. In either case, YOU MUST MAIL or RETURN the ballot YOURSELF. No one is allowed to return your ballot for you. [Note also: drop boxes cannot be used to return ballots.]
If you receive an absentee ballot in the mail but change your mind and want to vote on election day, all is not lost. As long as you have not already returned the ballot, you can take it to your polling place, surrender the blank ballot to an election worker, and receive a new ballot. At that point you simply use the ordinary process for marking your ballot and passing it through the tabulating machine.

You can also vote early for the April 2 election. Technically, this option is also called absentee voting! Early in-person absentee voting — that's it's full moniker — takes place on weekdays beginning March 19 and ending March 29 in most communities. You can find more information about days/times/and locations for early voting on Early Voting Information for North Shore and Ozaukee County Communities or for the City of Milwaukee. Voting early in-person is convenient, flexible, and secure. You will need to take an approved photo ID with you — just as you would for voting on election day. If you need to register or reregister — because you have moved or changed your name — you must also bring proof on residence with you. See list of acceptable photo IDs. See a list of acceptable forms of proof of residence.

Of course, there's always election day. Find your polling location on MyVote.WI.gov as well as what you need to bring for photo ID and to register to vote, if necessary.

The next several weeks are chock full of legal wrangling about various Adolf Twittler's trials and tribulations. We're still waiting for the US Supreme Court to issue a ruling in the challenge to Colorado disqualifying Trump from the ballot because of his role in the January 6, 2021 Insurrection. That opinion could come down any day now. In addition, in the New York DA's Election Interference case (often disparagingly termed a hush-money case), motions to prevent specific evidence or arguments from being introduced at trial — known in legalese as in limine motions, I've learned — are due on Thursday, February 22. On Friday, a case brought by officers on duty at the Capitol Building on January 6, known as Blassingame, will have a status hearing in the DC Courtroom where Judge Amit Mehta presides. Keep track of all the legal events as well as the primaries interspersed throughout at Just Security's Master Calendar of Trump Court Dates: Criminal and Civil Cases.

Finally, a note of levity: how the idiot-in-chief thinks the fines levied by Judge Engoron as well as the other "persecutions" he has to endure make him a sorta, kinda, almost the victim of an assassination. In short an American Alexey Navalny. I kid you not: the AP reports.

EVENTS

Wednesday, February 21

SCOTUS Coordinating Call, 11:30am CT
Zoom
United for Democracy is a national organization dedicated to reforming and reining in the US Supreme Court: "Radical justices are breaking with judicial norms and ignoring decades of legal precedent to impose their own right-wing agenda on our country and take away our freedoms. Congress has the power to fix this. They need to take action." These calls are an excellent way to find out what SCOTUS is doing. Sign up for this monthly series.

DemTeam 2024 Scholarship Fundraiser, 5:00 - 7:00pm CT
Art Bar, 722 E Burleigh St, Milwaukee
Our goal is to build a larger, stronger Democratic community. To be successful in winning elections and moving progressive issues forward, we need to have a well-trained, well-connected network of activists, staff, and candidates. The DemTEAM training helps to build a stronger, more strategic community of Democrats in Milwaukee County to run campaigns, plan events, recruit new members, stand for office, and advance progressive values and causes. RSVP.

With Malice Toward None, With Charity for All: Reclaiming Civility in American Politics, 6:30pm CT
Online
In our polarized and often poisonous politics, it can be challenging to even talk to someone who has different beliefs. Our relationships are strained, loving our neighbor feels impossible and we’ve lost a sense of empathy for each other. You’re invited to join us in-person or online for this special free forum, exploring how to repair the breaches in our civic life. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox (Utah) and Democratic Gov. Wes Moore (Maryland) will dig into Gov. Cox’s initiative to “Disagree Better,” followed by a conversation of leaders, including ABC’s Donna Brazile, attorney Rachel Brand, legal scholar Ruth Okediji, and activist Tim Shriver, who are trying to model a new kind of politics. Columnist Peter Wehner will join Joshua DuBois, Director of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships for the Obama Administration, to uncover how to aim higher and do better. This event is in partnership with the Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University and Wesley Theological Seminary, and sponsored by Deseret Magazine. Free and open to the public, but please RSVP in advance. Your pay-what-you-wish contribution helps support the Cathedral and its programs.

Oz Dems General Meeting, 7:00 - 8:00pm
Dems Grafton Office, 1930 Wisconsin Ave, Grafton
Join us at our Grafton office every third Wednesday of the month at 7:00. Meet like-minded people who are your neighbors and committed to electing Democrats here in Ozaukee County.

Thursday, February 22

Turn Out & Turn Up to Vote, 6:30pm
Canaan Baptist Church Annex, 2964 N 11th St, Milwaukee
MICAH's Black History Month Celebration with guest speakers Former L. Governor Mandela Barnes and Anita Johnson, Souls to the Polls Voting Education Specialist & Community Outreach Manager. Doors open at 6:00pm; Dinner begins at 6:0pm. Be inspired! Let's commemorate and honor the African-Americans who shaped history, and those doing that today. REGISTER.

Friday, February 23

We've Got to Try: Beto O'Rourke at the Milwaukee Public Library, 6:30 - 8:00pm
Centennial Hall, 733 N 8th St, Milwaukee
Join Beto O'Rourke for a candid talk about protecting our sacred right to vote and what it will take to save our democracy at this critical moment of truth in connection with his new book: "We’ve Got to Try: How the Fight for Voting Rights Makes Everything Else Possible". As a former Texas congressman and founder of the voting rights and voter registration organization Powered By People, Beto is uniquely qualified to explain both the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead as we approach the most consequential elections of our time. Free. Register here.

Saturday, February 24

Stand for Peace, 12:00 - 1:00pm
Howell Ave and Howard, Milwaukee
Stand for Peace demonstrates for peace at a different intersection in Milwaukee County every Saturday.

Tuesday, February 27

Forum: Proposed Constitutional Amendments, 6:00 - 7:30pm
Zoom
The proposed constitutional amendments on the April 2 ballot put our elections at risk. Join the League of Women Voters to learn about the constitutional amendment questions that will be on your ballot on April 2 and why you should VOTE NO. Elections need to be fully funded. Speakers will discuss the constitutional amendments in Wisconsin and what we can expect next.

Joan Schwarz is a member of the Dane County LWV, a retired civil law attorney and University Academic in Literature and Women’s Studies.
Michael Haas is the Madison City Attorney. He worked as a staff counsel and elections division administrator at the Government Accountability Board before becoming the interim administrator at the Wisconsin Elections Commission in 2016.

ACLU-WI Election Trivia Night, 6:00 - 78:00pm
Cactus Club, 2946 Wentworth Ave, Milwaukee
Are you feeling lost in the seemingly endless election cycles in Wisconsin? Do you know how local offices affect your daily life and community? Join the ACLU of Wisconsin at Cactus Club to test your trivia knowledge about pop culture, voting rights, and more! Come for the game, stay for the raffle prizes and free snacks. RSVPs encouraged but not required.

Saturday, March 2

Stand for Peace, 12:00 - 1:00pm
76th St and Layton, Milwaukee
Stand for Peace demonstrates for peace at a different intersection in Milwaukee County every Saturday.

Tuesday, March 5

Ted Chisholm for Milwaukee County Treasurer, 5:00 - 7:00pm
On Tap at the Brewhouse Inn & Suites, 1203 N 10th St, Milwaukee
Join us on Tuesday, March 5th from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM to kickoff Ted's campaign for Milwaukee County Treasurer and to celebrate his birthday!

Wednesday, March 6

Urbanists for Mayor Cavalier Johnson, 5:00 - 7:00pm
The Fitzgerald, 1119 N Marshall St, Milwaukee
We are thrilled to invite you to an event that stands at the crossroads of urban development and progressive leadership. This event brings together urban development enthusiasts, community advocates, and friends of Milwaukee who support Mayor Johnson's vision of a thriving, forward-moving city. We are also thrilled to have the Sam Belton Jazz Experience performing live, bringing their soulful jazz music to add to the evening’s atmosphere. RSVP and donate.

Thursday, March 7

Support Liz Sumner, 5:30 - 7:00pm
Dorsia, 1307 E Brady St, Milwaukee
Join with us to help make Supervisor Liz Sumner become the next Milwaukee County Comptroller! With Liz facing an opponent in the race for Milwaukee County Comptroller, this gathering is more crucial than ever. RSVP and donate.

State of the Union Watch Party, 6:00pm
336 Wisconsin Ave, Waukesha
On March 7th, President Biden will deliver the final State of the Union before the presidential election. We will be gathering at the office to surround ourselves with great friends and fellow Democrats to cheer on our President and kick off our campaigning locally to re-elect him, Vice President Harris and Senator Baldwin. We will be providing drinks and light food. This is going to be a heck of a fun party! Please register and sign up here.

SAVE THE DATE

Saturday, March 9

Stand for Peace, 12:00 - 1:00pm
St Paul and Water, Milwaukee
Stand for Peace demonstrates for peace at a different intersection in Milwaukee County every Saturday.

Sunday, March 10

Forum for Shorewood School Board and Village Board Candidates, 12:00 - 1:30pm
Shorewood Village Center, 3920 N Murray Ave, Shorewood
For a seat on the Shorewood School Board, the candidates with the two highest vote totals in the February 20 primary three candidates vying for two seats on the Village Board will participate in a forum so that voters can become acquainted with their views ahead of the April 2 election.

Saturday, March 16

Get Out the Vote — Spring Election , 9:00am - 3:00pm
Ozaukee County Dems
Help connect with Ozaukee County voters ahead of the April 2 Spring Election. You can contact us at www.ozdems.org.

Sunday, March 17

Get Out the Vote — Spring Election, 9:00am - 3:00pm
Ozaukee County Dems
Help connect with Ozaukee County voters ahead of the April 2 Spring Election. You can contact us at www.ozdems.org.

Know What Is on the April 2 Ballot, 5:00 - 6:15pm
Zoom
This Grassroots North Shore program focuses on the two ballot questions that propose to change the Wisconsin Constitution. Our speakers — Madison-based attorney Doug Poland and State Senator Mark Spreitzer — will enlighten us by addressing what the proposed amendments say and mean. And why they're on the ballot. RSVP here.

Saturday, March 23

4th CD Convention, time TBA
4500 W Custer Ave, Milwaukee
Program to be announced.

Sunday, March 24

DPMC's Annual Gala: 2024 MKE DEMocracy, 5:30 - 8:00pm
Italian Community Center, 631 E Chicago St, Milwaukee
Special guests and speakers will be announced soon. We will also honor our award recipients. Please RSVP names and dietary needs by Friday March 15th to [email protected]. Checks may be sent to 1975 S 70th St West Allis, WI 53219.