For Release: Tuesday- May 26, 2020
Wisconsin Capitol at night. Photo credit: Michael 75 from Unsplash
Common Cause Wisconsin Update:
We Need Safe and Fair Elections & To End Partisan Gerrymandering!
To paraphrase one of our greatest U.S. Presidents,
Franklin D. Roosevelt: “Primary Election Day in Wisconsin, April 7th, 2020 -- was a day that will live in infamy.”
Wisconsin was the
only state in the nation that did not postpone its primary election in the midst of the national coronavirus pandemic, while 15 other states did.
Only in Wisconsin were voters forced to make what could be a literal life or death choice.
They could vote in person on election day to have their voice heard, but risk being infected or passing on COVID-19 to someone else, unintentionally. Or, they could choose not to vote and not have their voice heard and thereby not risk being exposed to the virus. Tens of thousands of voters who had applied by the deadline for absentee ballots but had not received them by April 7th -- were forced to make this agonizing choice -- along with many other voters unable to vote absentee. Tens of thousands of voters were effectively disenfranchised in this disastrous election through no fault of their own.
The blame for this horrific dilemma can be placed squarely on the selfish, hyperpartisan calculations of Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald. They were backed by and supported by the partisan conservatives on the Wisconsin Supreme Court (4-2 vote) and the partisan conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court (5 to 4 vote) -- as well as by President Donald Trump, in collaboration with the national Republican Party. Vos, Fitzgerald and Trump all believed that their candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, conservative Justice Daniel Kelly, who was appointed to the Court by former Gov. Scott Walker four years ago, would win on April 7th because the COVID-19 pandemic would most severely reduce voter turnout in Democratic-leaning areas like Milwaukee and Dane Counties and elsewhere. Despite the obvious danger to thousands of Wisconsinites posed by going ahead with the “in-person” election, they refused to allow it to be postponed.
CC/WI led in the statewide effort to press for the extension of the deadline for acceptance of absentee ballots and for the relaxation of onerous photo ID and witness signature requirements on those ballots. We supported the call of Gov. Tony Evers to postpone the election before the Wisconsin Supreme Court blocked his order. We have called for a U.S. Congressional investigation of the election. And now, we are working to ensure that Wisconsinites will never again have to choose between staying safe and healthy and being able to vote in an election. The conditions under which the April 7th election was held were a national disgrace that must never be repeated – in Wisconsin or elsewhere.
CC/WI was by far, the most outspoken and the most often cited reform organization in Wisconsin during the lead-up to the April 7th “pandemic” election and afterward. We were interviewed and quoted in The Washington Post, Newsweek, Politico, ABC News, National Public Radio, The Guardian, USA Today (and in Gannett newspapers nationwide), the national Associated Press and in dozens of state and local media articles and stories. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Japanese TV also covered us. We told the nation and the world what was happening in Wisconsin, who was to blame and how this must never happen again.
Between now and November, CC/WI is working to inform citizens about how to be able to request to vote by mail-in absentee ballot for the upcoming August primary election and in November and to do so in plenty of time so they will be sure to receive their ballots and can return them well before, or on the election day deadline. We are also continuing our essential work informing Wisconsinites about what they must do in order to comply with Wisconsin’s restrictive photo identification voter law as we also help citizens obtain the required ID to vote. CC/WI has led the statewide effort in assisting public and private university and college students to understand whether or not their institution-issued photo ID is compliant with the state voter law. If it is not, we inform students how to obtain the correct form of ID so they can vote.
Last year CC/WI sued the Wisconsin Elections Commission for unequal treatment under the Wisconsin photo ID law for the way it is applied to college and university students in the state. Specifically, we addressed the fact that the requirements for the photo ID issued by many institutions to students exceeds the requirements of the state ID law for the purposes of voting. State law created needless obstacles like mandatory expiration dates and a signature requirement for a student to vote – requirements that other forms of voting ID do not demand. That makes it more burdensome and difficult for students to vote. Our suit is currently pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago and we are pressing for a judgment before November. In the meantime, we are updating the only comprehensive website in the state for college voters to inform them about their student IDs and how to be able to vote.
CC/WI has consistently opposed Wisconsin’s restrictive and extreme voter photo ID law because we believe more people, not fewer should be able to vote and because Wisconsin places an undue and unfair burden on poorer people, people of color and people who rely on public transportation and do not have driver licenses, including many seniors who live in both urban and rural communities. This state once had the highest, or second highest voter turnout in the nation. The extreme voter ID law, which became effective in 2016, has caused Wisconsin to fall out of the top ten states in voter turnout. That’s just wrong and unjust. We are fighting to end it.
CC/WI is resurrecting its very successful and unique “free rides to the polls” program, which we first developed in 2014 and have continued, with increasing participation and involvement since then. We have the only website in the state where voters can go to see who offers free transportation to polling places on election day, or for early voting, or even to get a ride to a state Division of Motor Vehicles office to get a free photo ID that can be utilized to vote. In November of 2018, CC/WI coordinated several thousand such free rides for voters for these purposes. It will be in even higher demand and even more needed in Wisconsin this November.
CC/WI is also leading the statewide fight to inform citizens and advocate against an outrageous purge of as many as 200,000 duly registered voters on the Wisconsin statewide voter registration list overseen by the Wisconsin Elections Commission. An ultra-conservative law firm hand picked a conservative judge in Ozaukee County last December to rule that tens of thousands of voters who had not responded to a postcard mailed by the Wisconsin Elections Commission last October should be removed from the state voter list and be forced to re-register to vote! Of course, most of these voters were from counties such as Milwaukee and Dane that tend to lean Democratic in elections. A State Court of Appeals overruled the biased Ozaukee County Judge earlier this year and the conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court voted 3 to 3 not to hear the case. Conservative Justice Daniel Kelly, who recused himself from that decision because his re-election was pending at the time, has now announced he will vote to hear the case, even after his decisive defeat on April 13, and he has signaled he can support purging tens of thousands of voters so that he can hand conservatives and Republicans a decisive, unfair and partisan voting advantage heading towards the November election.
No one has been more outspoken and critical than CC/WI of the far right-wing law firm that dreamed up this voter purge, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty in Milwaukee, or of the hand-picked, partisan Ozaukee County Judge Paul Malloy, or, of the hyperpartisan conservatives on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and, in particular, of Justice Daniel Kelly. We consistently speak out against this partisanship on our state courts and the urgent need to return impartiality, fairness, and the rule of law to Wisconsin courts at every level.
We are also preparing to mobilize our allies to help identify who will be purged from the voting list by the expected Wisconsin Supreme Court decision and then to work to re-register them before November. You can and should check up and track your own voter registration status at myvote.wi.gov. We must take pro-active, positive action to combat this voter suppression!
CC/WI continues to lead in the seven-year effort to end partisan gerrymandering in Wisconsin. Last July, "stand alone" redistricting reform legislation, based on neighbor Iowa’s redistricting system, was introduced in the Wisconsin Legislature by State Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) and State Representative Robyn Vining (D-Waukesha). What is very different this time was the significant Republican support and co-sponsorship of the legislation, Senate Bill 288 and Assembly Bill 303. During the past three sessions of the Wisconsin Legislature, similar reform legislation had attracted only one Republican co-sponsor. Now, it has five: State Representatives Joel Kitchens of Sturgeon Bay, Jeff Mursau of Crivitz, Todd Novak of Dodgeville, Loren Oldenburg of Viroqua and Travis Tranel of Cuba City. And another, Jon Plumer of Lodi, has said he will vote for the measure as well. Clearly state legislators are hearing from their constituents, including from many CC/WI members. Turning up the heat on your state legislators is working! Your voice does make a difference.
Seven years ago, Common Cause in Wisconsin united pro-reform legislators behind this “Iowa Model” legislation. Not many Wisconsinites knew or understood fully at that time what partisan gerrymandering entailed and just how destructive it has been to basic fairness and democracy in this state by effectively silencing the voices of millions of Wisconsin voters in elections since 2012. But now, after seven years of intensive citizen education and high visibility information about this issue by CC/WI and our allies -- virtually every citizen of all political stripes grasps this issue and the need to have fair voting maps, not the rigged, partisan maps we have now. A Marquette Law School statewide poll found that 72 percent of Wisconsinites support a nonpartisan redistricting process for 2021 and that includes 62 percent of all Republican voters. We are winning this battle for the hearts and minds of Wisconsinites!
Grassroots citizen pressure at the local level has resulted in the passage of resolutions in support of the Iowa Model by more than two thirds (50) of Wisconsin’s 72 counties thus far, most of which voted “red” (for Donald Trump and Scott Walker) in the 2016 and 2018 elections. And that movement is gaining even more strength each day. We worked with our reform allies to get citizen referendums on fair voting maps on ballots in ten counties to pass overwhelmingly on April 7th and now have won in all 22 counties that have held such votes!
Redistricting reform will occur in Wisconsin, sooner or later. Support for ending partisan gerrymandering is growing and Governor Tony Evers and Wisconsin’s other statewide constitutional officers support it too. Republican support in the Legislature has increased and the issue is “front and center” for 2020. Our task is to continue to advocate, educate, organize and keep pushing forward to get this done. And we will. We will never give in or quit in this fight.
We are gearing up now for the upcoming redistricting battle that will occur next year – in 2021. CC/WI intends to hold Robin Vos and the other legislative leaders who have blocked fair representation to account and challenge them every step of the way. We will not allow them to do to Wisconsin what they did in 2011 when they all but destroyed fair elections in Wisconsin.
During this awful pandemic, you and I are currently living in some of the most difficult and trying times in our lives and in American history. Some of you may have experienced the loss of a loved one, a friend or someone you know. Many have suffered economic loss and even severe devastation during this unprecedented period. All of us are undergoing some degree of stress and uncertainty as we navigate our lives through this unfamiliar and disquieting terrain, not knowing what tomorrow will bring, but hoping for a better day ahead.
If you can assist CC/WI financially at the current time so that we can continue to press ahead to make our elections in Wisconsin fair and safe and to end partisan gerrymandering and return some semblance of decency and democracy to our state, we would be deeply grateful to you.
If that is possible, you can “snail mail” your check or credit card payment to:
Common Cause Wisconsin
P.O. Box 2597
Madison, WI. 53701-2597
Or, you can make a secure, on-line contribution to CC/WI by going here.
Thank you for caring deeply about the health and safety of our democracy in Wisconsin. Please stay healthy and safe and hopeful in the days, weeks and months immediately ahead.
With gratitude and hope for a better tomorrow,
Jay Heck
CC/WI Director
CONTACT:
Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
608/256-2686
Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org
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For Release: Wednesday- May 20, 2020
Redistricting Reform Pledge Request from Common Cause Wisconsin to State Elected Officials
This letter was sent to all current members of the Wisconsin Assembly, State Senate and to Gov. Tony Evers.
--
May 19, 2020
Dear Wisconsin State Senator/Representative/Gov. Evers,
For decades, Common Cause has supported reforms to end gerrymandering across the country in states that are controlled by both Democrats and Republicans. As part of our ongoing effort to shine a spotlight on the need for redistricting that puts people first, we are writing to ask you to sign the End Gerrymandering Pledge.
Our pledge reads as follows: “Redistricting should be fair, transparent, non-discriminatory and politically impartial.” See some national leaders who have signed the pledge on our
End Gerrymandering Pledge website. Elected officials should use
this link to sign the pledge.
Following the 2020 census, voting districts at all levels of government will have to be redrawn in Wisconsin to adhere to the U.S. Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment guarantee of equal protection. Common Cause believes that redistricting should be a process that prioritizes fair representation for Wisconsin residents, meaningful community input, and transparency. Unfortunately, redistricting in Wisconsin and other states in which legislators control the process has been plagued by partisanship, illegal racial gerrymandering, and backroom deals that prioritize political advantage for incumbents and the majority party over the rights of the public.
Improved technology has made it possible for mapmakers to undermine our representative democracy by using the redistricting process to preordain the outcome of elections for an entire decade. A basic premise of our system of government is that We the People can hold our elected officials accountable on Election Day. Gerrymandering denies voters this fundamental freedom.
We hope that you will help to instill confidence in the democratic process in Wisconsin by signing the End Gerrymandering Pledge. By signing this pledge, you are demonstrating your support for Assembly Bill 303/Senate Bill 288. This bill would bring the Iowa model for redistricting to Wisconsin by empowering nonpartisan staff to draw districts that legislators must approve. Common Cause Wisconsin will spotlight signers on our website so Wisconsinites will know which elected officials have committed to defending their fundamental voting rights during the upcoming redistricting process.
Thank you in advance for your consideration. If you have any questions, feel free to respond to this email or call me at (608) 512-9363.
Sincerely,
Jay Heck
Executive Director
Common Cause Wisconsin
CONTACT:
Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
608/256-2686
Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org
Read More...
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For Release: Tuesday - May 5, 2020
Prepare Now How to Vote in 2020 in This Current Pandemic Environment
Consider Voting by Absentee Ballot This Fall & in the
Special Election May 12th in the 7th C.D.
Every election matters so here's how you can be prepared to vote in the remaining scheduled elections for 2020.
Those who live in the 7th Congressional District (portions of northern and central Wisconsin) will vote in a special election on Tuesday, May 12 to elect the member of the House of Representatives to replace the seat vacated by former U.S. Representative Sean Duffy. You can get details about this election from
MyVote.wi.gov that include your polling location, absentee voting options, what is on your ballot, and information about photo ID needed to vote. You can also register to vote on Election Day. You must request a mailed absentee ballot by Thursday, May 7th and it must be returned to the clerk to be at your polling location to be counted by Election Day, May 12th.
Then all of Wisconsin will cast ballots in the fall elections scheduled for August 11, (the partisan primaries) and November 3, (the general election). These elections will determine federal and state representation.
Due to the uncertainty of COVID-19 and its impact on events scheduled later this year please consider requesting a mailed absentee ballot for both the August and November elections. Your request can be made today through
MyVote.wi.gov so you are all set for the fall to receive both your August and November ballots by mail. Signing up is easy.
How to request an absentee mailed ballot
Go to MyVote.wi.gov and click on the "Vote Absentee" icon. Enter your name and birthdate. Click "Request an Absentee Ballot" and then select all the 2020 Elections. Finally, you'll have to upload an image of your acceptable ID for voting. (For example, your Wisconsin issued drivers license is an acceptable ID to vote. You can not simply take a picture of yourself and send that. Your request will be rejected without a clear picture of your acceptable photo ID.)
For more information about a photo ID for voting – and how to get a free ID if you don't have an ID acceptable for voting – see our downloadable voter ID fact sheet. Or visit the Wisconsin Election Commission's voter photo ID website: Bring It to the Ballot. If you do not have an acceptable photo ID for voting and need help getting one, contact this statewide Voter ID Hotline Numbers: 608/285-2141 or 414/882-8622.
If you are planning to vote in person at the polls, please take care. Follow social distancing guidelines for your and others' safety.
When you vote, you will need to present one of the acceptable forms of photo ID for voting pictured left.
(Click to enlarge image)
If you already have a Wisconsin driver license or one of the other acceptable forms of ID for voting, then you're "ID ready." Just remember to bring it with you when you head to your polling place.
What if you don't have an acceptable ID for voting on Election Day?
You can ask for AND vote with a provisional ballot. But, for your ballot to be counted, you MUST either come back to your polling place with an acceptable form of ID before it closes at 8:00 pm on Election Day OR bring your ID to your municipal clerk's office by 4:00 pm the Friday after the election.
Are you registered to vote?
Before you head out to the polls, check to see that you are registered to vote at your current address. If you are not, be sure to bring a proof of residence document (hard copy or electronic on your cell phone or tablet) when you go to your polling location so that you can register there.
Democracy requires our constant participation and engagement. Please take your opportunities to strengthen the health of democracy in our state. Get ready and vote!
Contact:
Jay Heck
Executive Director
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
Want Good Government?
Join Common Cause in Wisconsin!
www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org
Read More...
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