Our Spring 2020 Endorsements page is now up. On it you will see that we have endorsed Judge Jill Karofsky for Wisconsin State Supreme Court. We also have endorsed in two races for Circuit Court Judge in Milwaukee County. And we recommend voting YES on the Milwaukee County advisory referendum promoting a nonpartisan process for drawing new electoral maps in 2021. We have made no recommendation on the statewide, binding referendum on criminal justice reform.

We also have links to information about the two candidates for Milwaukee County Executive.

Check it out!

Know something about the two candidates running in the April 7 election to be Milwaukee County Executive. State Representative David Crowley and State Senator Chris Larson have both completed answers to a short questionnaire we have sent them. You can read them on our site.

Grassroots North Shore encourages everyone to stay safe and vote by mail. To do this, use your smartphone (a cell phone that has a camera and an internet connection) to access myvote.wi.gov. Once on the site, choose Vote Absentee. The site will walk you through the application process and will send the request form and your photo ID to the clerk of your municipality. But don't dither. The absentee ballot must be received by the municipal clerk by 8pm on April 7!

Revised: 3/26/2020 at 3:15 pm. Please note that it is now likely that there will be no open polling places on Election Day, April 7, 2020, at least in the City of Milwaukee. The only sure way to vote is to vote by mail with an absentee ballot. The rules for acquiring an absentee ballot have changed slightly to make it somewhat easier to obtain.

The coronavirus has disrupted most things, but our April 7 election remains on the schedule. You can of course show up at the polls on election day to cast your ballot (you can see a sample ballot and find your polling place at myvote.wi.gov) but you would be doing poll workers and yourself a huge favor if instead you vote by mail, using an absentee ballot.  

There are TWO steps you have to perform:

1. Request that your municipal clerk send you an absentee ballot.
2. Fill out and mail the ballot back so that it arrives by 8pm on April 7 (otherwise your vote will not count).

To request an absentee ballot, you have to fill out a form. There are two routes you can take. The first is online.

1. Use a computer or a smartphone and a browser to go to myvote.wi.gov.
2. Click "Vote Absentee". 
3. Fill in your name and date of birth in the online application to check your registration status. 
4. Click the button "Request an Absentee Ballot" on the screen that displays your name, address, and registration status. 
5. Fill in the form requesting an absentee ballot. You can choose to request an absentee ballot for the April 7, 2020 election only or you can choose to request an absentee ballot for the August 11 election and the November 3 election as well. The request form may require you to upload a picture of your photo ID. Try to comply. If you cannot, go to the next step.
6. Choose the box that says that you are "indefinitely confined." The coronavirus has rendered that statement true for everyone but do upload a picture of your photo ID if you are able to do so. If you are not able to upload a photo, choosing the box for indefinitely confined means that you will no longer need to provide a photo ID with your request form.
7. The site will automatically send the request to your municipal clerk.

The second route is to print a copy of the form yourself. Once you have a copy, fill it out, and choose the box that says you're indefinitely confined if you are having a problem photographing and or printing a photo of your photo ID. Then mail the form to your municipal clerk. You can find a pdf of the request form on the site of the Wisconsin Election Commission. When you are filling out the form, we suggest that you request an absentee ballot for all elections for the remainder of 2020. You'll find that selection in box 6 of the form. You can find the mail address for your municipal clerk at myvote.wi.gov. Choose "Find My Polling Place". On the lefthand side of the screen you will see the name and some contact information for your municipal clerk. Clicking on the "More Information" button will bring up the mailing address.

As of March 19, Bayside and Whitefish Bay are sending forms to request an absentee ballot to every registered voter! Some other communities may be doing the same. And if Wisconsin takes steps now to have all votes by mail, we can heave a sigh of relief and avoid the risk of being contaminated at the polls or spreading the virus to others there. Wouldn't that be a good thing?

You can read the text of Milwaukee County Clerk George Christianson's memo:

Grassroots North Shore is proud to announce its 

Endorsement of Judge Jill Karofsky for Wisconsin Supreme Court

The nonpartisan general election of 2020 is April 7. Early voting in most North Shore communities will begin by March 23 (in a few communities it will begin earlier -- check with your village or city administration. It will end on April 3 at 5pm. Before you go to the polls -- either for early voting or on election day -- be sure to check your registration, polling place and sample ballot: myvote.wi.gov.

The only statewide race on your ballot will be the one for Wisconsin State Supreme Court. The candidates are Dan Kelly (incumbent and Walker appointee), and Jill Karofsky, judge on the Circuit Court of Wisconsin. You can read our endorsement of Judge Karofsky and her answers to our Grassroots North Shore Questionnaire. You can also visit the the website and Facebook page for Karofsky's campaign. We urge our supporters to vote for Karofsky. She is the only progressive in this race.

Our Elections 2020 page provides some information about early voting in many North Shore communities, including phone numbers to reach your community's administration. It would be prudent to call to make sure, but most early voting for the nonpartisan election on April 7, 2020, will take place at the city or village hall. So please vote in this election and in all subsequent elections this year!

In addition to the April 7 election, Wisconsin will hold two more: the partisan primary on August 11 and the general election on November 3. Mark your calendars for subsequent dates now so that you don't forget to vote. (If you know you are going to be out of town or otherwise unable to vote early in person or go to the polls on election day, you can always request a mail-in ballot at myvote.wi.gov.)

Click here to RSVP

Read statements by Ed Fallone and Jill Karofsky.

Celinda Lake, a Washington-based Progressive Strategist and Pollster, is one of the Democratic Party's leading political strategists, serving as tactician and senior advisor to the national party committees, dozens of Democratic incumbents, and challengers at all levels of the electoral process. Through her firm, Lake Research Partners, Ms. Lake helps her clients develop the strategies and disseminate the information that they need to win elections.

Ms. Lake will be the keynote at our fundraiser on Sunday, December 8, from 4-6pm at Plymouth Church (2717 E Hampshire St, Milwaukee). Wisconsin has been identified as key to the 2020 election. Sound bites and photo ops aside, you won't want to miss this rare opportunity to see things from her deeply researched perspective on the 2020 elections! RSVP and please contribute generously at our Act Blue page.  

Doors will open at 3:00pm. Street parking only.

Donation Levels which include a one-year membership:

Admission: $30/Person or $40/Family

If you'd like to be recognized publicly for your gift to Grassroots North Shore, please email Ginny Goode.

This was the question on the minds of over 140 people at the North Shore Presbyterian Church on October 13^th. The debate did not produce an easy answer, but instead raised difficult questions that reflect the complexity of the current predicament in which we find ourselves.

Dr. Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action Wisconsin, argued for impeachment. His premise was that the nature of our democracy would suffer irretrievable harm because Congress could no longer be considered co-equal with the Executive Branch. In addition, whatever President is or would be in power could manipulate and interfere with free elections, thus always ensuring a victory. He called for a “purer” motivation than a political one – labeling it a constitutional necessity.

On the other side of the argument, Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Dr. Sheldon Wasserman made the case against impeaching the President. His reasons were admittedly political. Although he agreed that the President’s actions rose to the level required to impeach, he noted the dangers of a political backlash. With the Senate unlikely to act based on evidence provided, he felt that the best remedy to the dangers of the current Presidency lies in the upcoming election.

Long-time Wisconsin Public Radio host Kathleen Dunn provided thoughtful questions and helpful history, while Attorney Jeff Perzan explained context and points of law regarding impeachment, and also responded to questions. The audience had many questions, so Q&A lasted about half an hour.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the program was the total and sometimes brutal honesty of the two as they made their arguments. They relied on logic and evidence, but also expressed emotional hopes and fears based on personal experiences and historical examples. Both sides of the debate were well expressed and captured the attention of the listeners, forcing them to think and confront all possibilities. (Well done, Dr. Kraig and Dr. Wasserman!)

This debate was co-sponsored by Citizen Action Wisconsin, Grassroots North Shore, and Grassroots South Shore. A video, graciously taped and created by Daniel Folkman and Charles Bensinger of Wisconsin Video Hub, can be found at WisVideohub.net, or you can go to Event Video