Happy Thursday,
Here's this week's Weekly Update for League of Women Voters Milwaukee County (LWVMC) news, information and events. | | Wisconsin #1 in voter turnout!
Preliminary numbers show Wisconsin with the highest voter turnout in the Nov. 8 election! League members deserve a pat on the back for their GOTV efforts, including the many members who work at the polls. Please thank your local municipal clerk and other election administrators for making democracy work!
Great work Wisconsin! | | | | The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin (LWVWI) and its Election Protection Coalition Partners are conducting a survey to learn from voters about their voting experience during the Nov. 8 election. Please share this survey with others so that the information can be used to help policymakers make improvements to voting in Wisconsin. The survey is also available in Spanish. |  |
Public Issues Forum Nov. 16 on Climate Change: Origins, Impacts and Solutions
Join League members and the public at this event to move forward in supporting the City-County Climate and Economic Equity Plan.
Wednesday, Nov. 16
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Summit Place
Main Floor, Large Conference Room
6737 W Washington St., West Allis
With David H. Petering, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Climate change presents an existential threat to the future of life on Earth. This presentation will discuss the origins of climate change within the context of Earth as a life-sustaining planet, followed by an overview of what is happening across the globe as a result of rising global temperatures. The focus will then shift to what can be done in terms of technical solutions that quickly transform the world’s economies to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Milwaukee’s Climate and Equity Plan will be highlighted to illustrate the promise and the challenges of this far-reaching objective. Next, the question will be considered whether technological fixes can be implemented in time and at the scale necessary in the USA without a drastic change in our collective values. The talk concludes with some thoughts about the role of the LWV in addressing the climate crisis.
This free, in-person event is brought to you by the LWVMC Natural Resources Committee. View flyer here. |
Videographer Volunteer Opportunity
Can you share your video skills at this Nov. 16 event? We’re all aware of the value of the League’s Public Information Forums. And we know that Climate Change affects not only ourselves but future generations, too. If you can provide video access by recording this forum for later viewing, please reply to volunteer@lwvmilwaukee.org.
Event Set Up Volunteer Opportunity
If you would like to help set up for the Nov. 16 Public Issues Forum hosted by the Natural Resources Committee at Summit Place, please arrive at 5:30 p.m. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. This Forum, featuring UWM emeritus professor David Petering, is for our entire LWVMC membership.
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Great Decisions Discussion - International Relations Group
Thursday, Nov. 10
10 a.m.
Wauwatosa Library
7635 W North Ave
Wauwatosa, WI 53213
Topic of discussion is The WHO (World Health Organization). Great Decisions is America’s leading discussion program on world affairs. The program provides background information and policy options for the eight most critical issues facing America each year and serves as the focal text for discussion groups across the country.
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Milwaukee County Jail-Based Voting
Following a series of meetings between the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office(MCSO) and the LWVMC in October, a successful voter registration drive was conducted at the Milwaukee County Jail (MCJ).
“Voting is among the most fundamental rights of American citizens,” said Sheriff Denita Ball, who, along with MCJ commander, Inspector Aaron Dobson, invited the LWVMC to the jail. “And while we understand that some citizens’ ability to vote is restricted by law, it is our responsibility, even in this pre-trial detention facility, to ensure that all those eligible who are interested in voting have that ability. We appreciate the League and its efforts. A voting public is an engaged public. And perhaps being able to access this right will incentivize and inspire some jail occupants to course correct their lives and avoid future reincarceration.”
Over 38 hours across several days last month, multiple LWVMC volunteers visited 10 MCJ housing units, met with 120 occupants, and registered 43 people, in addition to the 11 individuals registered by MCJ staff earlier this year, for a total of 54 occupant voter registrations in 2022.
From the League’s perspective this was a very successful voter registration drive. To be able to register 43 individuals in a very tight time frame and request 42 absentee ballots was work well done. Many of the residents were grateful to have the opportunity to register and vote and voiced that sentiment to our volunteers. |  | Image: Screen capture of Eloisa Gómez on Telemundo.
Eloisa Gómez Interviewed by Telemundo
Eloisa Gómez, our Team Leader for our Comité por el Voto Latino (Latinix Voter Outreach) was recently interviewed by Telemundo television about early voting. This interview is part of an extremely important and intense Get Out the Vote (GOTV) effort in wards 217, 218 and 225 which is funded by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.
Eloisa did a wonderful job representing the issues and concerns about early voting. To view the entire interview click the link below.
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Civics Education – An Opportunity
Have you noticed that there’s inaccurate perception among our fellow citizens of how our U.S. government is designed to operate? How many could pass a straightforward test to name the three branches of government? When individuals become newly naturalized citizens, they have successfully completed a test that many born here would struggle to pass.
The Voter Services Committee of LWVMC is assembling a team of public speakers to do civics education. Meaningful presentation materials have been developed to aid in creating lifelong voters and empowered citizens. While those with teaching experience would be likely presenters, the lesson plans are so thorough that Leaguers of any background can effectively use them to deliver the information.
To indicate your interest, contact volunteer@lwvmilwaukee.org. |  |
Community Volunteers are the Backbone of a Successful Voter Guide
Who:
The Vote411 team still needs Community Volunteers for Spring 2023 in Milwaukee municipalities:
- Greenfield
- Hales Corners
- Oak Creek
And in Milwaukee County school districts:
- Greenfield
- Oak Creek Franklin
- Wauwatosa
- Whitnall
What:
Help us to answer three questions:
- Which positions are up for election in (municipality/school district) in April 2023?
- Who is running for those positions?
- Are there issues of particular importance to you, your community, your school district?
How and When:
- To answer question 1, Community Volunteers contact municipal clerks and school district clerks once in mid-November.
- To answer question 2, Community Volunteers contact municipal clerks and school district clerks again in December during the candidate filing period, and once more on January 4 the morning after the candidate filing period ends. These contacts can be made by phone, email, in person, whatever works for you. You do not need to live in the district for which you volunteer.
- As for question 3, watch and listen for issues specific to your community/school district any time now through November.
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Prepare yourself to help people register to vote! Learn how to register people to vote using MyVote.wi.gov. Learn what is acceptable photo ID for voting in Wisconsin and how to acquire it. Registration required.
Wednesday, Nov. 16
5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
LWVMC Office
Summit Place
6737 W. Washington Street
Room # to be determined
Monday, Dec. 12
5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
East Library
2320 N Cramer Street
Conference Room
Questions regarding this announcement please email training@lwvmilwaukee.org. |
Interpreter Volunteers Needed
The Voter Services team is receiving an increase in requests for voter registration events in the Rohingya and Hmong communities. They're providing interpreters but have said it would help if we had voter registration volunteers or simply interpreters as well.
Do you, or someone you know, have any fluency in any of the following languages and would be willing to volunteer from time to time at these events?
- Hmong
- Vietnamese
- Rohingya
- Karen
- Karenni
- Thai
- Lao
- French
We are also looking for help to translate some of our publications into these languages.
Please contact, Donna Spars, Team Leader for Voter Services Community Outreach Team, at d.spars@lwvmilwauke.org if you would like to volunteer or if you have any questions about this opportunity.
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Enjoy Hmong History and Culture
Saturday, Nov. 12
Noon – 4 p.m.
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
608 New York Ave
Sheboygan, WI
Free and open to the public
Play at noon and 2:30 p.m.
Performance at 1 p.m.
The Hmong Women Society will be presenting a play called Hmong History and Culture. | |