Ballots for the April 4th election must be received by your stateside local election official or clerk by 8pm on election day! If you haven't send it back yet, it's time to think about express mail, courier or other service. The number one reason overseas ballots were rejected in 2020 was late arrival. Don't become a statistic! 

Wisconsin team co-chairs Liz Blackbourn and Annie Graul had a blast talking about all things Wisconsin on the popular radio program As Goes Wisconsin. (if this radio show/podcast is not on your regular playlist, it should be!) Check out the recording here.

This is what we're up against in April, as per WisDems : 

“Dan Kelly is a fatally flawed and ethically compromised MAGA extremist who promises a future for Wisconsin in which patients are unable to access basic reproductive health care, doctors are at risk of prosecution, and the very integrity of our democracy is called into question.

“In his previous tenure on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, extremist Dan Kelly repeatedly twisted our Constitution and our laws to the benefit of right-wing special interests, and in the years since his 2020 defeat, Kelly has cashed paychecks from these same special interests. Dan Kelly has shamefully compared Social Security to slavery, and has fully embraced extremist groups campaigning to fully enforce Wisconsin’s draconian 1849 criminal abortion ban."

Not a good look for our beloved home state. Please fill out your Backup Ballot (or FWAB) and get it in the mail ASAP! 

The Wisconsin Supreme Court election on April 4th is THE most important election of 2023. This election will decide everything from if abortion is outlawed in the state, to if the gerrymander that has turned Wisconsin into a one party state is allowed to stand, to whether this ultimate swing state is allowed to send electors to Washington who didn’t win the popular vote, potentially swinging the 2024 Presidential Election to Republicans even if the Democrats win. Democracy itself is literally on the line with this election, not just in Wisconsin but for the entire nation. To get you fired up and passionate about this game changing moment in time, Politics Girl talks to Ben Wikler, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, who not only knows everything about Wisconsin politics, but he knows how to win even when it seems the game is rigged against him. If you want to live in a country with a functioning democracy, there is nothing more important for you to be paying attention to right now than this one special election. 

AN ELECTION THAT COULD SPELL THE FATE OF DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN IN WISCONSIN

 

The state’s notably partisan Supreme Court contest has already attracted a flood of money and endorsements from several prominent national figures. With abortion and voting rights hanging in the balance, the stakes, as one candidate tells Vanity Fair, “couldn’t be higher.”

For more than a decade now, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has acted as a “third branch” of its Republican-dominated legislature, according to Ben Wikler, chair of the state Democratic Party. But that could change this spring in an election that has enormous implications not only for the Dairy State, but for the country as a whole. “The Wisconsin Supreme Court race is the most critical election of 2023,” Wikler tells me, “both for Wisconsin and for American democracy.” 

Read the full Vanity Fair Article HERE

Right now Wisconsinites have a chance to fill a state Supreme Court seat and correct the course of justice!

Wisconsin is a small state that as of late has seen dark money pour in from outside parties. Reason number one to vote? To take back our voice!

Why Vote?

Balance of Power

The state legislature has been refusing to confirm Governor Evers’ appointments to government positions, leaving former incumbents in place despite the Governor’s power of appointment. In 2022, a state Supreme Court ruling paved the way for this abuse of the nominations process to continue. 

A popularly elected Governor can ... be held hostage by legislators in a gerrymandered legislature who are unable or unwilling to cooperate. - Barry Burden, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Elections Research Center

Gerrymandering

The Republican-controlled legislature adopted electoral maps that favor Republicans and reduce the number of Black-majority districts. Gov. Evers vetoed the maps, but the conservative-controlled Supreme Court ordered that Wisconsin will use the legislature’s map for the next 10 years. 

Recusal

Judicial decisions should not be affected by campaign contributions and dark money. The laws of our great state should not be determined on a pay-to-play basis. The integrity of our judiciary is on the line. We must elect justices who are impartial and committed to fair and balanced judicial review. We must elect justices who we can trust to recuse themselves in the case of conflicts of interest. 

Voting Rights

Americans, wherever they are, have the right to vote. This election, we have to vote to ensure we retain that right. Current efforts are underway in Wisconsin to limit the amount of time granted to overseas voters to return their ballots. All Wisconsin voters must return their ballots by mail, a process that is unpredictable and antiquated.

Abortion 

This is a life-or-death election. 

Since Roe v Wade was overturned, Governor Evers has tried to get the legislature to debate access to reproductive rights in Wisconsin. The legislature has refused, leaving the 1849 law which bans abortion in place. Attorney General Kaul has said that he will not enforce the 1849 law, setting up a dispute which is likely to head to the WI Supreme Court.

Who's Running?

There are four justices running in the nonpartisan primary. Wisconsinites will choose TWO candidates to move forward to the General Election in April. There are two liberal-leaning candidates who need our votes! Learn more: 

• Everett Mitchell
• Janet Protasiewicz

Request your 2023 ballot HERE