Voting matters

The attack on access to voting is not just a national crusade. It has appeared in many guises here too. But with a newly elected justice on the Supreme Court of Wisconsin (SCOWIS), the ruling in a case called Teigen v. Wisconsin Elections Commission has been challenged. In March, SCOWIS agreed to hear the case, filed by the Elias Law Group on behalf of "a liberal voting rights group that would overturn a 2022 decision by the Court to ban the use of absentee ballot drop boxes in the state" (Washington Examiner, March 12, 2024).

Naturally, three of the justices — Annette Ziegler, Rebecca Bradley, and Brian Hagedorn — lodged various objections. Both Ziegler and Bradley claimed that allowing voters to use drop boxes would favor Democrats. When SCOWIS subsequently permitted Governor Tony Evers to participate in the suit, Justice Hagedorn dissented. "Evers’ interest in the policy issues of the case and his commitment to free and fair elections 'do not create the kind of legally protected interest one must have to become a party to litigation'" (Wisconsin State Journal, April 19, 2024). In other words, Hagedorn was challenging Evers's standing to be a party to the lawsuit proper instead of just filing an amicus (friend of the court) brief.

Last January, a PBS Wisconsin story, Ballot drop box disinformation and the fight over voting in Wisconsin, examined the 2022 case and Dolt 45's instant use of it to continue attacking the legitimacy of the 2020 election. A day after the ruling came out, he wrote on Truth Social that "Other States are looking at, and studying, the amazing Wisconsin Supreme Court decision declaring Ballot Boxes ILLEGAL, and that decision includes the 2020 Presidential Election." The article goes on to point out that "absentee ballot drop boxes had been used in Wisconsin for over a decade."

WisPolitics sponsored a discussion of the issues by Denise Jess, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired and leader in the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition, and Bryna Godar, staff attorney at the University of Wisconsin Law School’s State Democracy Research Initiative. One irony of the whole issue of election integrity is that voters can use US mail boxes to return their ballots. It's not clear that a blue box used by the postal service — let alone the mailbox at the end of my driveway — is any more secure than the drop boxes! Obviously, "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty," as Thomas Jefferson may or may not have said.

Needless to say, access to voting, counting the votes, and certifying an election are all foundational to our democratic republic. And all three steps have been openly under attack for many years now. Photo ID laws, for example, tighten the qualifications needed to vote and thus affect access to voting. Wild conspiracy theories about election tabulation machines (Italian satellites aka Italygate, anyone?) are used to cast doubt on the outcome of an election. And of course there's the whole fake electors scheme — now the subject of indictments in four states but not (yet?) in Wisconsin — and January 6, 2021, events that sought to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

But even before any ballot is cast, rigging the election district maps can be used to cement power in one party's hands. Now that we have new and fair election maps in place for this fall's elections, it's important to understand what the new maps mean, for you personally and for the statewide election. Well, Grassroots North Shore has your back. On Sunday, May 19th, at Plymouth Church (2717 E Hampshire St, Milwaukee), we will be discussing "The New Maps: What’s in it for you" starting at 4:30pm. Deb Andraca, Representative for Assembly District 23, and Debbie Patel, co-chair of Grassroots North Shore and of North Shore Fair Maps, will discuss issues. A number of candidates for offices in our area will also mingle with you. Don't miss it! RSVP.

And in other local election news, Mayor Chevy Johnson fired Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Claire Woodall and replaced her with the Deputy Director, Paulina Esperanza Gutierrez. Why the Mayor fired the head of elections six months ahead of what promises to be a high turnout election is not entirely clear from the article in Urban Milwaukee. Lots of news outlets covered the story — the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and WPR, for two — without shedding even a candle's light on the reasons for such a change so close to such a fraught election.

I'll leave the professional pundits and gossips to deal with the Stormy Daniels matter and also the shocking but not surprising announcement that the case Aileen Cannon is "overseeing" has been indefinitely postponed. But I want to end today's missive on a high note. And for that, I turn to Simon Rosenberg's Hopium Chronicles.

Remember here at Hopium we are not waiting for Trump to be convicted to make the case against him. For there are six things voters are going to come to know about Trump (with our help) that they didn’t know about him in 2020, an election he lost, which don’t require any court to do anything:

That he raped E. Jean Carroll in a department store dressing room;
That he oversaw one of the largest financial frauds in American history, and owes hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and penalties;
That he stole America’s secrets, lied to the FBI about it all and shared those secrets with others. It was without question among the most grave security breaches in our history, and an extraordinary betrayal of the country by a former President;
That he tried to overturn an American election, led an armed insurrection against the Congress, fought to end American democracy for all time and has promised to finish the job if he somehow gets into the Oval Office next year;
That he and his family have, corruptly, taken more money from foreign governments than any political family in our history;
That he was singularly responsible for ending Roe and stripping the rights and freedoms away from the women of America; and last week confirmed, by embracing the states’ rights position, that he supports the most extreme abortion bans in the nation - this making him without question the most dangerous abortion extremist America has ever seen.

EVENTS

Wednesday, May 8

POLITICAL POLLING: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY, 3:00pm CDT
Online
Highly regarded political pollsters and demographers, Celinda Lake and Paul Maslin will discuss POLITICAL POLLING: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY in conversation with Warren Olney. Both Lake and Maslin have been two of the leading public opinion analysts, campaign pollsters and political strategists for more than three decades. Maslin worked on countless California and Los Angeles-based political races and ballot measures and Lake serves as a chief analyst and pollster for the DNC and for Biden's 2020 presidential campaign. Register.

Thursday, May 9

Cash for Communities: Leveraging Historic Federal Funds for Racial, Economic, and Climate Justice, 12:00pm CDT
Online
Imagine solar panels on every school, an electrified fleet of city vehicles, EV chargers that actually bring IN revenue, and climate resilience hubs in every neighborhood. Thanks to new Direct Pay tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, projects like these could be possible at a fraction of the typical cost. And local governments, schools, and other tax-exempt entities who’ve built this type of project in 2023 could be eligible for cash NOW. Join the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center and the Local Progress Impact Lab to learn how local policymakers can lead the way and help communities seize this opportunity. Register.

What To Do About PFAS, 6:30 - 8:00pm
Zoom
Back in March, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin held Part 1 of its series on contamination by PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in Wisconsin. That webinar engaged speakers to explain where these ubiquitous contaminants come from, what it can do inside the human body, and the personal protections we can all take to limit our exposures. Now in Part 2, we will address the bigger picture of what we can do about PFAS. Topics include lived experiences with PFAS contamination of soil and water; limitations and costs of current remediation options; innovative remediation methods under investigation; and political controversies and legislative proposals. Register.

Saturday, May 11

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

Monday, May 13

Souls to the Polls Rally to Restore Drop Boxes, 10:30am
Center Street Library, 2727 W Fond Du Lac Ave, Milwaukee
This rally is in support of the plaintiffs in the Wisconsin Supreme Court case seeking to overturn a 2022 decision in Teigen v. Wisconsin Elections Commission that banned the use of drop boxes for returning absentee ballots. The case is scheduled for oral arguments on May 13.

Guardianship & Voting: Preserving and Restoring The Right To Vote, 12:00 - 1:00pm
Zoom
You will learn: voting rights for people under guardianship; how voting rights are addressed in the guardianship process; the process for restoring the right to vote. This training will provide information to support people with disabilities and older adults to retain or restore their voting rights. "Registration is required.

Tuesday, May 14

Faithful Stand for Equity webinar, 6:30pm
Online
Please join us for a Faithful Stand for Equity webinar on Tuesday, May 14 at 6:30 pm. This month, the theme will be: "DEI: Why the Backlash?", and the main speaker will be professor Gloria Ladson-Billings. Many of you might remember her very helpful presentation about "Critical Race Theory" several months ago. Dr. Ladson-Billings will help us understand some of the history of DEI programs, the nature of the fierce opposition that has arisen, and what we can do going forward. Register.

Wednesday, May 15

Ozaukee Democrats Monthly Meeting, 7:00 - 8:00pm
1930 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 130, Grafton
Join us at our monthly general meeting, the 3rd Wed of each month at 7 pm at our Grafton Office. Get caught up on the latest local politics while helping us elect people to office. Thanks to Fair Maps, we have an opportunity to elect people to the 22, 23, and 59 Assembly Districts as well as the 8th and 20th Senate Districts. Zoom links for the meeting are sent to paid DPOC members.

Friday, May 17

A Forum on White Christian Nationalism, 9:30am
Juneau Room, Knickerbocker Hotel
1928 E Juneau, Milwaukee
The League of Progressive Seniors presents Dr. Marilyn Miller, educator, minister, and consultant for ant-racist training; a past president of MICAH (Milwaukee Congregations Allied for Hope); and co-founder of LEADING FOR EQUITY that works with faith-based and other non-profit organizations to deepen understanding of systemic racism and equip the organization to analyze its structures and policies to lead for racial equality. To sign up, email Tom Callan.

Grafton & Cedarburg Volunteer Meetup at Art of Joy! 7:00 - 9:00pm
Art of Joy, W63N664 Washington Ave, Cedarburg
Join Grafton and Cedarburg volunteers for a fun event in the Art of Joy cabana in Cedarburg on May 17th! We’ll hang out to talk about upcoming volunteer opportunities, what we’ll be focusing on in the next few months, and to get to know one another – especially new volunteers! Sign up.

Saturday, May 18

Shorewood Canvass with WisDems, 9:00am - 12:00pm
4516 N Newhall St, Shorewood
Come join us to recruit strong democrats who are passionate and looking for ways to get involved in this election. Some weekends, we will reach out to voters who are in the middle and currently undecided. RSVP.

Shorewood Canvass with WisDems, 12:00 - 3:00pm
4516 N Newhall St, Shorewood
Join to recruit strong democrats and help persuade undecided voters! Help us win this crucial election. RSVP.

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

Sunday, May 19

GRNS Annual Meeting: The New Maps: What’s in it for you, 4:30 -6:00pm
Plymouth Church UCC, 2717 E Hampshire St, Milwaukee
This November, for the first time in over a decade, we can begin to take back the legislature with four seats within reach. Find out where and how we can flip those districts, and how you can help! RSVP.

Sunday, May 19

Oz Dems Serve A Meal - Ozaukee Food Alliance, 10:30am - 2:00pm
Ozaukee Food Alliance, 100 E. Green Bay Avenue, Saukville
oin our community outreach as we serve a brat fry meal at Ozaukee Food Alliance. We’ll prep, serve, and provide a meal for community members. Interested? Email [email protected]. See you there! [email protected] or [email protected].

SAVE THE DATE

Wednesday, May 22

Wisconsin Justice Initiative, 5:00 - 7:30pm
The Cooperage, 822 S Water St, Milwaukee
Author Ben Austen on Corrections: How We Change the Story of Criminal Justice in America. Austen, the author of Correction: Parole, Prison,and the Possibility of Change, joins us to talk about not just the problems of America's criminal justice system but why and how we change it. A ticket to the event includes heavy appetizers and a cash bar. $60 for general admission and $35 of public/nonprofit. Register.

Thursday, May 23

League of Women Voters Annual Meeting, 5:00 - 10:00pm
Alioto's, 3401 N Mayfair Rd, Wauwatosa
At our Annual meeting, Active Members will elect the new Board of Directors for 2024/2025, discuss important topics and approve any bylaw changes. There is an optional social gathering before the Business Meeting: a showing of the film, "Dangerous Women: Women of the West," (33 min), a dinner ($35 per person with a choice of entree and cash bar) and a silent auction. Guests are welcome. When registering for this event, unclick the dinner option if you only wish to attend the Business Meeting. The dinner cost can be paid in advance with a credit card or you can choose "Pay Later," and send in a personal check. Rather than bringing a personal check to the event, kindly send personal checks in advance. The deadline to pay by card or check is Friday, May 17. If you would like to attend the Annual Meeting dinner, but the registration fee presents a hardship, please do not hesitate to contact Nancy Maloney at [email protected]. Members can log in to register.

Saturday, May 25

Shorewood Canvass, 9:00am - 12:00pm
4516 N Newhall St, Shorewood
Come join us to recruit strong democrats who are passionate and looking for ways to get involved in this election. Some weekends, we will reach out to voters who are in the middle and currently undecided. Sign up.

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

Shorewood Canvass, 12:00 - 3:00pm
4516 N Newhall St, Shorewood
Come join us to recruit strong democrats who are passionate and looking for ways to get involved in this election. Some weekends, we will reach out to voters who are in the middle and currently undecided. Sign up.

Sunday, June 2

Lakefront Canvass, 9:00am - 12:00pm & 12:00 - 3:00pm
3271 N Newhall St, Milwaukee
Come help us recruit new volunteers! Every person counts and we win the election by getting out early to build our network of supporters. We will also engage undecided voters to help persuade them. We need you! 2 hours can make the difference in this election. Sign up.

Saturday & Sunday, June 8-9

Democratic Party State Convention, 8:30am Saturday to 1:00pm Sunday
Potawatomi Hotel Casino
1721 W Canal St, Milwaukee
Links to Convention Information: