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Celebrate Earth Day 2024!
Join the League of Women Voters Milwaukee County (LWVMC) Climate Action Group
Saturday, April 20th from 10 am until noon OR
Sunday, April 21st from 1 p.m until 3 p.m.
League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County offices
Summit Place- Room 2212, 6737 W. Washington Street, Milwaukee
Climate change has been identified by the World Health Organization as the single biggest health threat to humanity. Climate change is causing extreme weather including flooding, extreme heat and drought, all of which have serious health effects. The adverse impacts of a warming climate are also not felt equitably. Disadvantaged communities face an even greater burden from the climate crisis. The League’s policies and positions allow us to play a significant role in addressing the climate crisis. In response, the LWVMC is establishing a Climate Action Group. The group's goal is to create a plan of action for our League. Anyone interested in sharing ideas about possible local climate advocacy is invited to attend one of two meetings. Co-convenors, Candice Owley & Louise Petering.
Registration is requested but not required. Register here for Saturday's date and here for Sunday's date.
If you are unable to attend either of the meetings but are still interested in the work of the Climate Action Group please contact c.owley@lwvmilwaukee.org. for more information.
|  | | Celebrate Spring
Sunday, April 21, 1:15 - 3:30 p.m.
Wauwatosa Public Library, Firefly Room
7635 W. North Avenue
Join the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County for an informative discussion about accessible walks and paddles in the Milwaukee area. LWVMC members, Karen and Jennifer Lemke, authors of Easy Walks and Paddles in Milwaukee, will share the inside scoop on many accessible trails and waterways in the Milwaukee area, as well as additional information about public restrooms, benches, nearby eateries, environmental issues, fascinating historical tidbits about the people who previously inhabited these spaces, and details about Milwaukee’s social and cultural history.
The Sisters Lemke will be in conversation with LWVMC member Dorothy Dean, founder and executive director of Disability Justice. Easy Walks and Paddles in Milwaukee provides important accessibility information for Milwaukee’s beautiful and abundant green spaces so that more people with disabilities, seniors, and families with children can enjoy these easy-access spaces.
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Thursday, May 23, 2024
5:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Dinner and Business Meeting
Alioto's
3401 N Mayfair Rd
Wauwatosa, WI
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VOTE411 Spring 2024 Voter Guide
The Spring 2024 Election Voter Guide at VOTE411.org published online by the League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County was a success due to the amazing group of volunteers who worked on the project.
The Community Volunteers are the liaisons between the municipal clerks/school boards and the Vote411 Team. They work with the municipal clerks/school boards to find which positions are up for election, who is running for those positions and the candidates’ contact information. Our sincere thanks to the Community Volunteers for this past spring’s election:
Milwaukee County: Theresa Bellone, Joel Demant, Nancy Florsheim, Pat Jursik, Sarajane Kennedy, Tom Neubauer, Diana Otterbacher, Deborah Patel, Eilene Stevens, Jane Stoltz, Mary Sussman, and Mary Jo Wellenstein.
Waukesha County: Pam Chester, Mollie Conrad, Mary Sue Kristiansen, Nora Ladwig, Melissa Laughlin, Kellie Sanders, Suzanne Schalig, and Ellen Trytek.
Watch next week’s Update for thanks to more League members who helped with VOTE411 during the Spring Election season.
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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, What To Do About PFAS, on May 9th at 6:30 pm, we will address the bigger picture of what we can do about PFAS. Topics will include:
- Lived experiences with PFAS contamination of soil and water
- Limitations and costs of current remediation options
- Innovative remediation methods under investigation
- Political controversies and legislative proposals
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|  | Join activists from across Wisconsin to participate in a strategic planning day for fair maps
Members of the Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition want to extend an invitation for YOU to join us in planning and mobilizing for Fair Maps through 2024 and beyond.
The Fair Maps Coalition cannot achieve our goal of independent, nonpartisan redistricting in Wisconsin without your support. We need your voice to help us plan and implement our shared strategy to finally secure a representative and accountable government for all in Wisconsin this November and for decades to come.
REGISTER HERE | |
To take the survey, sponsored by the League of Women Voters in Wisconsin, please complete the form below or follow this link.
| Poll Worker Experience Survey - April 2024
Hello poll workers! The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin launched its April 2024 Poll Worker Experience Survey. Please click here to complete.
|  | Ballot Bulletin - Election Results are Triple Checked
Time for another Ballot Bulletin where we highlight various election security topics so we are all better informed about the processes in place to ensure our elections are fair, accessible, and secure. This week let's dive into the certification process of election results.
In Wisconsin, our commitment to fair and transparent elections is unwavering. And while the polls may close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, official results take time to compile. On election night, counties collect returns from their municipalities, and post the unofficial results on their websites. It’s important for voters to know that any election results reported on election night are unofficial until the results are triple checked.
After the polls close, election officials go through a rigorous process to triple check the results at the municipal, county, and state levels. Every vote cast is meticulously counted, verified, and audited not once, not twice, but three times to ensure the utmost accuracy and reliability of the results! It is normal for unofficial election results to change slightly as election officials conduct canvasses to ensure an accurate vote total while completing the certification process.
Election results become official after the chair of the Wisconsin Elections Commission certifies the results. The canvass and certification of election results can take over 30 days to complete after the election.
While everyone is eager to know the results of an election as soon as possible, we need to remember to be patient and give our election officials time to count every vote. Our democracy is worth the wait!
Read the Ballot Bulletins series here. |  | Community Outreach Needs Volunteers for Voter Registration Events
The Community Outreach Team provides voter information and registration services at community partners' events throughout primarily Milwaukee County. Our partners are social service agencies, advocacy organizations, churches, etc. mainly in the underrepresented Black and Asian-American communities.
Based on our experience in 2022, I would anticipate that we will receive many requests for assistance with exponential growth as the year progresses. If you are interested in providing this invaluable service to our community, please complete the form below indicating your availability.
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Prepare yourself to help people register to vote!
May 18, Saturday | 9:30 am- 11:00 am
League Offices Summit Place Conference Room 2135
6737 W. Washington St.
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.
Questions regarding this announcement? Please email e.aelion@lwvmilwaukee.org
Register here: My Vote Training Sign Up | | Learn how to have a conversation, not a debate, when supporting reproductive healthcare and rights. Attend our Milwaukee member-only event led by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. This 2-hour, evidence- based workshop will give you confidence and skills to discuss this topic with relatives, friends and neighbors.
Register today for either the virtual or in-person workshop with the links below.
| Friday, April 26 at 10 a.m.
MPL East Branch
April is a book club meeting and we will be discussing: “Obreros Unidos: The Roots and Legacy of the Farmworkers Movement” by Jesus Salas. Everyone is welcome to attend even if you haven’t had a chance to read the book! |  |
Tickets Now on Sale for the 2024 LWVWI Annual Meeting in Green Bay, WI!
This year's theme is Tipping Points & Shared Purposes - Challenges of 2024 & Beyond: What We Need to do This Year to Move Through Them Together. Issues we face today affect us in more ways than the obvious. How do we encourage everyone to come together again in our hyper-polarized world? From civics education to artificial intelligence to fair redistricting and beyond, we explore how to find balance before reaching the tipping points.
FORMAT: Hybrid (in-person and virtual options)
DATE: May 31 - June 1, 2024
LOCATION: Oneida Hotel and Conference Center, Green Bay, WI
For additional information on theme, lodging, parking, & material, visit the LWVWI Annual Meeting Hub.
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|  | Send Thank You cards to Clerks!
The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin is looking for volunteers to help send handwritten thank you cards to municipal and county clerks following the April 2, 2024 Spring Election. Volunteers will be mailed a packet with cards & envelopes, address lists, stamps, and an example of what to write inside the card. Let us know how many cards you are able to write below. We are hoping volunteers would be willing to write around 50 postcards each.
If you have any questions, contact Delany Zimmer, LWVWI Voter Services Coordinator at dzimmer@lwvwi.org
You can also nominate your outstanding clerk to be recognized by the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition. Nominate your clerk here.
| Fund Development - We need you! Coffee for Our Cause
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Coffee for Our Cause has been a huge fundraiser and promotes our brand of empowering voters and defending democracy.
Without a new leader, Coffee for Our Cause will not continue. This would be a huge loss in revenue for the League. Mary Sussman, who created this fund-raiser and has been its leader, is stepping down this year. The project timeframe is from July through November. A one-year commitment is requested for this worthy project that is satisfying to work on. A team is in place, procedures are up-to-date, and coaching will be available. Please contact Mary Sussman to express interest or get additional information: susscommunications@att.net
Let’s not let this successful fundraiser lapse!! Think about making it fun with a leader and a co-leader.
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Jim Wallis, the author of several books, including God's Politics, spoke at the United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay on April 5 about his latest work, The False White Gospel. In it, he argues that the answer to bad religion is the true faith that will help refound democracy. Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied cohosted this event for Hope, WISDOM, Bay Bridge Wisconsin, and Boswell. If you missed the talk, you may access the YouTube video here.
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Cultural Conversations: Contemporary US Asylum, Refugee, and Immigration Policy
Sunday, April 14, 2024, 1:30-2:30 pm.
Frank L. Weyenberg Library of Mequon-Thiensville
11345 N Cedarburg Road
Mequon, WI
Join a frank discussion of world events, and those here at home, and learn how you can make a difference. The Frank L Weyenberg Library presents a program that provides an overview of key issues in US refugee and immigration law and policy, which will provide history and context to better understand debates, issues, and policy changes concerning immigration. The program features Sara McKinnon, Associate Professor in the UW-Madison Department of Communication Arts. McKinnon is an expert in immigration and refugee issues, violence, gender-based violence, and international/global politics. Her current research examines these themes within the context of contemporary U.S.-Mexico relations. Dr. McKinnon also teaches and gives talks on intercultural communication, conflict communication, and gendered modes of communicating.
| Get to Know: Joan Johnson, director, Milwaukee Public Library | | Joan Johnson, director of the Milwaukee Public Library. Johnson is in conversation with Derek Mosley, director of the Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education, at the Marquette University Law School. Johnson, who has been with the Milwaukee Public Library since 2006, became its director in 2020. Over the years, the services of libraries have grown as social safety nets have been stretched. Not only are libraries a place for books and research, but they are also a critical component of vibrant communities. In celebration of Library Week, learn more about Johnson, and what brought her back to Milwaukee. Watch the video here. | | | Accessing Members-Only Website Portal
The LWVMC website has information and resources that are available only to LWVMC members. To access the membership directory or members-only resources and volunteer opportunities, click on the button below. Contact Mary Ellen Spicuzza at me.spicuzza@lwvmilwaukee.org with any questions. | Support Local Democracy. Support Your League.
Your support is critical to help our nonpartisan grassroots organization reach voters play a critical role in democracy. It would not be possible to empower voters and defend democracy without your support.
Thank you! LWVMC
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