Senator Baldwin marked the grand opening of her Milwaukee Midtown office with a right to vote roundtable discussion with community leaders (Photo/Karen Stokes)
By Karen Stokes
Senator Tammy Baldwin celebrated the inauguration of her campaign’s new Milwaukee midtown office on Saturday, April 27. She was joined by community leaders for a roundtable discussion focusing on safeguarding the constitutionally protected right to vote.
The roundtable, moderated by Mandela Barnes of Power to the Polls Wisconsin, featured various leaders from around the state about the fight for democracy, pressing the need to protect voting access, rebuild integrity in our elections, and foster civic engagement and participation. Participants included Nick Ramos, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign; Sam Liebert, Wisconsin State Director of All Voting is Local Action; Patricia Ruiz-Cantu, a local Hispanic faith leader; Rev. Greg Lewis, Executive Director of Souls to the Polls; State Senator LaTonya Johnson (D-WI-6), and State Representative Supreme Moore Omokunde (D-WI-17).
In a democratic government, every person is considered equal and is empowered to both participate in their government and speak on the issues that impact their daily lives, through our votes.
That sometimes isn’t the case.
“We are still fighting the same fights we have fought generations ago, we are still fighting today,” Barnes said. “But every time we fought those fights we came out stronger.”
There is constant pushback on voting rights. Currently there are bills that make voting harder for women and Black and brown Americans. Special interest groups that influence elections, and district maps that don’t reflect our communities can threaten our democracy.
“The Supreme Court has weakened the Voting Rights Act in several decisions. That is extraordinarily harmful in terms of access to the ballot box,” said Baldwin.
There has been a rise in threats against election workers nationwide, highlighting the heightened risks associated with free elections.
Mandela Barnes presents Senator Tammy Baldwin with the Freedom to Vote Champion Award (Photo/Karen Stokes)
“Our municipal clerks are under threats, harassment, and intimidation. The Brennan Center has found 73 percent of election officials say that these threats have increased in recent years, but nearly half of these incidents go unreported to law enforcement,” said Liebert. “In Wisconsin, there’s a 25 percent turnover rate. We have worked with the legislators to pass bills to increase protection. Unfortunately the bill didn’t pass but there are some great communities that are stepping up like Sheboygan, Racine, Madison, Stevens Point who have passed ordinances to increase the penalties and fines if you are found guilty of harassing or attacking election officials.”
“You have people who come from other places in the state because it’s ‘fun’ to poll watch in urban areas,” Omokunde said. “There’s a lot of bias that’s implemented not only towards poll workers but those who are voting. They have this feeling that you don’t belong here or prove you belong here.”
A positive development in Wisconsin elections is Governor Tony Evers signing new legislative district maps into law, bringing in an era of equitable representation for the state for the first time since 2011.
“This is the first time in 13 years that I feel like I have hope and it’s because of those new maps and the potential of getting additional people in those seats,” said Johnson.
Following the discussion, Barnes presented Baldwin with the ‘Freedom to Vote Champion Award’ for her leadership on voting rights issues.
Baldwin sponsors the Freedom to Vote Act, aimed at safeguarding elections from voter suppression, partisan interference, gerrymandering, and undisclosed funding. With strong public backing, this legislation is essential in addressing anti-democratic challenges facing our nation. Additionally, Baldwin also sponsors the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which seeks to reinstate and modernize the full protections of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965.
“Senator Baldwin has been a steadfast advocate for the Freedom to Vote Act, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, pieces of legislation that promise to safeguard our sacred right to vote,” said Barnes. “These proposed bills are beacons of hope in a time of countless threats to our democracy. When we protect the right to vote, we preserve the very essence of our democracy.”