30+ Wisconsin Organizations Urge Voters to Vote No on November Constitutional Amendment

MADISON– As the undersigned organizations and groups who work together to strengthen our democracy and serve the people of Wisconsin, we urge voters to vote no this November on the statewide constitutional amendment.

No matter where we were born, our race, or what language we speak, all eligible Wisconsin voters are afforded the right to cast a ballot and make their voice heard. State legislators are pushing an anti-voter amendment that would change the language of our state’s constitution. It could open the door to discriminatory practices, disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of eligible voters.

It’s been proven repeatedly: Wisconsin has safe and secure elections with safeguards to ensure only eligible voters are voting. This amendment is just a way for legislators to create a problem that doesn’t exist and use fear as a tactic to further divide us.

Wisconsinites are tired of legislators pushing these confusing constitutional amendments, which are rooted in misinformation. Additionally, this is an example of the gerrymandered legislature trying to pick their voters. It’s a last-minute power-grab before voters choose a new legislature using the new fair maps this November.

Not only is this statewide ballot question intentionally confusing, but it will create real harm. The proposed change in voter eligibility from “every” citizen to “only” citizens diminishes all of our voting rights. We urge Wisconsinites to vote no to preserve the constitutional guarantee that protects our freedom to vote from further infringement.

“Wisconsinites know that this ballot question is nothing more than a cynical, callous attempt to sow division and undermine citizen confidence in our elections by raising a non-existent issue to fuel conspiracy theories and election denialism, ” said Jay Heck, the executive director of Common Cause Wisconsin since 1996. “A resounding NO vote is the only sane choice on this measure.”

“The claims backing this amendment are coming from anti-immigrant and anti-voter extremists in an attempt to sow distrust in our democratic process for their political gain,” said Sam Liebert, the Wisconsin State Director for All Voting is Local.  “This amendment addresses a nonissue, but it is also dangerous, as it could lead to additional laws erecting barriers to the ballot for eligible voters, eventually silencing Wisconsinites’ voices. To protect ALL voters, we must unequivocally reject this amendment.”

“Changing the wording from “every” citizen to “only” citizens is a way for lawmakers to further restrict our freedom to vote as was the result with the Voter ID law,” said Debra Cronmiller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin. “We must stand up and say no to politicians in power due to extreme gerrymandering. We must demand our elected officials represent the voter’s interests and not their own.”

“You would think the gerrymandered legislature would get tired from the amount of time they have wasted advancing anti-democratic constitutional amendments to Wisconsinites,” said Nick Ramos, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. “The people weren’t fooled in August, and they will not be fooled in November. Our democracy is meant to be an inclusive process, not the exclusive club our out of touch politicians dreamed of when they created this amendment.”

Wisconsinites stick together. An attack on rights for one is an attack on rights for all. We will not let fear and lies blind us from the true intent of this amendment. This November, let’s come together for our communities and vote down this harmful constitutional amendment. Vote no before or on Tuesday, November 5!

Signed organizations,

• AAUW Wisconsin
• ACLU of Wisconsin
• All in Wisconsin
• All Voting is Local Action
• Appleton Area NOW
• Black Leaders Organizing for Communities
• Blacks for Political & Social Action of Dane Co.
• Chippewa Valley Votes
• Citizen Action of Wisconsin
• Common Cause Wisconsin
• Dane Co. Voter ID Coalition
• EXPO of Wisconsin
• Fox Cities Advocates for Public Education
• Grassroots North Shore
• GrassRoots Organizing Western WI
• Green County Child Care Network
• Law Forward
• Leaders Igniting Transformation Action Fund
• Leaders of Kenosha
• League of Women Voters of Wisconsin
• Main Street Alliance
• NAACP – Wisconsin Conference
• Oregon Area Progressives
• Our Wisconsin Revolution
• Progress North
• Souls to the Polls
• WI Urban League of Greater Madison
• Voces de la Frontera
• WAVE Educational Fund
• Wisconsin Alliance for Excellent Schools
• Wisconsin Conservation Voters
• Wisconsin Council of Churches
• Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
• Wisconsin Early Child Action Needed
• Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition
• Wisconsin Interfaith Voter Engagement Campaign
• Wisconsin Legislative Socialists
• Wisconsin Public Education Network
• Working Families Power

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.