Date: 8/1/2024
Subject: Weekly Update for August 1
From: League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County

LAST CHANCE! Merchandise Sale Ends Aug. 2

Democracy works better when more citizens vote. Wisconsin is a high voter-turnout state, yet typically more than 25% of those who are eligible to vote do not participate in the November elections when many important offices besides the president are on their ballots. Non-voters often say their vote doesn't matter or that no one asked them to vote. The 2020 presidential election had a vote margin of less than 1% in Wisconsin -- their vote definitely matters! So ask a non-voter to register and vote (lowest turnout rate is among young people). Do your purple state proud with a message for voters of all political stripes and boost turnout!

ONLINE POP-UP STORE OPEN FOR A LIMITED TIME:
CLOSES AUGUST 2ND

WOMEN'S SIZES ADDED

Get-out-the-vote merchandise here
Please spread the word.

For questions about merchandise, please contact jessica@olivepromotions.com

Other questions? Contact Peggy Creer at p.creer@lwvmilwaukee.org

Are you ready to vote on August 13?

First time and seasoned voters all need a plan before casting their ballots.

Make a plan and prepare to go to the polls on August 13 for the primary election.

1. Check your Registration and/or Register to Vote. August 9 is the last day to register in your municipal clerk’s office. You can also register on Election Day at your polling place.

2. Learn about your Early Voting Options. Get your absentee ballot in the mail if you requested one. Early voting started on July 30.

3. Explore your Day-Of Voting Options. Find out where you can vote in person and what you need to bring with you on Election Day. Go to MyVote.WI.gov for this information.

4. Research Candidates. Learn where candidates running for office in your area stand on the issues, and about the ballot measures on your ballot by checking out Vote411.org the League’s online voter guide. You can hear directly from the candidates before you cast your vote.

5. Share your Plans! Tell your friends and family what you learned in the process of making your voting plan and encourage them to make their own. Then, cast your ballot and let your voice be heard.

This is all you need to vote!

Thank You to Voter Services Volunteers

Voter Services is planning a Thank You for volunteers on all of our nine teams. The event is Thursday, August 22 from 5:00-7:30 at Hoyt Park Grand Hall and Beer Garden in Wauwatosa. A light supper will be provided. Thursday is music night at the Beer Garden which will add to the good time. All volunteers will get t-shirts. If you are a volunteer, you should have received an invitation in your email. Please RSVP right away (the invitation asks for responses by August 2) so we can order t-shirts in the correct sizes. Even if you cannot come, please RSVP with your t-shirt size. If you did not receive the invitation or cannot locate yours, you can access it on the League website Events calendar. Hope to see you there! As space is limited, this event is just for Voter Services volunteers.

Spread the Word!

Overview

Wisconsin voters will be asked two questions to amend (change) the constitution on their August ballot. These potential changes will impact both the process for distributing federal money, and who has the power to make those decisions. These large sweeping changes will impact a wide range of issues voters care about, from education to the environment to how quickly the government can respond to emergencies (like a public health crisis or a natural disaster).

The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin knows that if these amendments are passed they will be harmful to the people of our state. We urge voters to VOTE NO on both questions.

Voters must be prepared to answer these questions in the August 13, 2024 election.

The questions on voters’ ballots

Question 1: “Delegation of appropriation power. Shall section 35 (1) of article IV of the constitution be created to provide that the legislature may not delegate its sole power to determine how moneys shall be appropriated?”

Read more about what this question means Ballotpedia Question 1

Question 2: “Allocation of federal moneys. Shall section 35 (2) of article IV of the constitution be created to prohibit the governor from allocating any federal moneys the governor accepts on behalf of the state without the approval of the legislature by joint resolution or as provided by legislative rule?”

Read more about what this question means Ballotpedia Question 2

What does a “Yes” or a “No” vote mean?

A "yes" vote supports amending the state constitution to require legislative approval from both the senate and assembly before the governor can expend federal money appropriated to the state.

A "no" vote opposes this amendment, thereby allowing the governor to accept and allocate federal funds without seeking an approval vote from the state legislature.

Stance: The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin opposes these constitutional amendment questions and urges voters to VOTE NO on both questions.

And here’s a toolkit with more information about the amendments, social media posts and other deep dive information about these issues.

NO to Amendments Toolkit

LWVMC Joined NAACP at John Lewis Commemoration Event

LWVMC Board Member Liz Harris-Hodge and the Voter Services Team, led by Voter Services VP Peg Schrader, joined with NAACP and other civic organizations to honor the late civil rights icon John Lewis with a day of action on July 17. Liz was interviewed by local news media. News coverage of the event is here. Thanks to Voter Services volunteers: Jeanne Hewitt; Martha Davis Kipcak; Carole Montgomery; Peggy Serrano; Donna Spars.

Boosting Latino Voter Turnout

Comité por el Voto Latino/Latinx Voter Outreach team lead Eloisa Gómez was featured in TV news coverage of a voter outreach event on Milwaukee’s Southside on July 23. Eloisa handed out sample ballots to passersby and talked up the importance of civic engagement. "It takes work to keep a democracy alive," Gómez said. According to John Johnson, a research fellow at Marquette Law School's Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education, only about half of eligible Latino voters are registered.

GET YOUR YARD SIGNS AND BUMPER MAGNETS NOW!

If you have a yard sign, now is the time to display it!

If you NEED a Yard Sign and/or Bumper Magnet, here is how you get one:

LWV Yard Signs and Bumper Magnets Are Available!

We have three kinds of signs:

- Vote From Home

- VOTE/VOTA (Vote on one side and Vota on the other)

- Swing State (Brand new!)

Yard signs (18" x 24") are available on a first-come first-served basis. We also have metal stands.

Bumper magnets (2 styles) also pictured below.

If you'd like any of these items, please complete THIS FORM. We will contact you.

Participate in Wisconsin’s Civic Health Challenge!

Complete a challenge, build a habit, connect with others, and enter to win!

August is Civic Health Month! The nonpartisan Civic Health of Wisconsin Initiative is coordinating Wisconsin’s 2024 Civic Health Challenge, which is designed to help us become active contributors to the civic health of our communities. Daily challenges will focus on 4 themes: social connection, community connection, voting, and political engagement.

Sign up in one of two ways:

– Join us on Goosechase. Download the Goosechase app on your device and enter this join code: 8J5VP3. You will receive daily challenges through this online platform.

– Participate via email. Sign up using our online form. You will receive a daily email with the month’s challenges.

Whichever way you choose, you will receive a daily challenge representing a civic health habit you can implement in your life. At the end of the month, complete an evaluation and document the challenges you completed for a chance to win a gift certificate. Read more about the Civic Health Challenge here.

'Tis the season…

LWVUS Protest Safety Guidance

If you plan to participate in a political rally or protest march, know your rights and how to stay safe. If you decide to pull out your cell phone to record events, keep in mind that you have a 1st Amendment right to record law enforcement in public spaces, but only as long as you don't interfere -- and the police make that call.

Read more advice from the national League here.

Disability Voting Rights Week: Sept. 9-13

Mark your calendar: Disability Voting Rights Week is a crucial initiative focused on building power within the disability community by ensuring people with disabilities are registered and ready to vote. People with disabilities are a significant voting bloc, and are a part of all political parties and demographics. Systemic barriers and voter suppression continue to prevent many disabled voters from accessing the ballot, and DVRW is also about continuing to fight to improve election accessibility and raise the visibility of our community as an important voting bloc. To volunteer for an event and learn more about empowering the disability vote, visit here.

Coffee

for

Our

Cause

We invite you to be a part of our brand-new experience for Coffee for Our Cause! We are actively recruiting sales team members for this major fundraiser with our new partner, East View Coffee Company.

Sales team members are asked to sell/buy at least 9 bags of coffee. The sales team will be invited to a coffee tasting event in August hosted by East View Coffee Company’s founder and owner, Jenny Ulbricht. She will describe each of the coffees and their origin. Also on the agenda will be training in being a sales team member and using the new process.

With Jenny’s business model, coffee orders for three or more bags (12 oz.) will ship from her store for free to a single address in mainland USA. Kathy Ulbricht, long-time League member and former Board member, and Mary Voelker are co-chairs for this year’s Coffee for Our Cause fundraiser. We invite you to join in the fun!

Please email Mary Voelker at m.voelker@lwvmilwaukee.org with your questions, and read last week’s Update for more info on the story behind this new coffee company!

Contact Your Representatives

Speak up on the issues impacting our democracy.

Tell your senators to enshrine sex-based equality by affirming the Equal Rights Amendment as part of our Constitution!
Demand bipartisan cooperation on voting rights!
Support the expansion of voting rights!
Urge Congress to address the climate crisis and protect our youth!
Ask Congress to decrease the influence of dark money with the DISCLOSE Act!
Demand that Congress end voter discrimination and support the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act!

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.

Donate Here

Thank you! LWVMC

Volunteer Here

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