The LWVWI Annual Meeting is a great way to learn more about how you can make a difference in our state through the League.  Materials are now posted, including the schedule of events, a mail-in registration form and online registration.  Click here. 

When:  Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 3:00-5:00 pm

Where:  Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St, Milwaukee 

Sponsored by League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Education Fund and League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County, and made possible with a grant from Joyce Foundation

Professors Steve Huefner and Dan Tokaji of the Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law will discuss their recent book, From Registration to Recounts: The Election Ecosystems of Five Midwestern States, which takes an in-depth look at the election systems of Wisconsin and four other states, examining such issues as voting technology, illegal voting, voter registration, and recounts.  This presentation will be followed by a response panel with: Kevin Kennedy, Legal Counsel for the Government Accountability Board; Neil Albrecht, Deputy Director of the Milwaukee Election Commission; and Andrea Kaminski, Executive Director of League of Women Voters of Wisconsin.  The discussion will be an opportunity to focus on next steps for election reform in Wisconsin.   

Space is limited for this free event. RSVP by calling (414) 273-(VOTE)8683 or email .  For general information, call (608) 256-0827.

Wisconsin has become a poster child for the changing face of - and increasing influence of money in - Supreme Court elections.  Yet we are not alone.  This special report from the Justice at Stake Campaign shows how five midwestern states—Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin—have become caught up in America’s “New Politics of Judicial Elections.”

The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin co-signed a letter from several environmental groups to the Dept. of Natural Resources about proposed changes to Chapter NR 446 of the Wisconsin Administration Code, which regulates mercury emissions from power plants.  The letter calls for specific changes to strengthen the rule for the protection of our lakes and public health. 

The U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding Indiana's strict voter ID law was a blow for fair elections, and it should not be used to support restrictive measures in Wisconsin.  We have a record of clean elections, with no evidence of impersonation at the polls.  There is no reason to impose restrictive election laws, which invariably place a higher burden on certain groups of eligible citizens.  Mary Wilson, President of the League of Women Voters of the United States, called the ruling "a disgraceful decision by a court that has no credibility on election issues."  Read the Wisconsin League's statement here:  Voter ID statement 04-29-08.pdf

Proponents of Voter ID are citing a report which rolled out old findings that appear to point to widespread illegal voting in Milwaukee in the 2004 election. The truth is that virtually all of the irregularities identified in the 2004 election have already been debunked or found to be simple errors; the study identified no reports of anyone impersonating anyone else at the poll. It is not clear who really is responsible for this report, which came as a surprise to the Milwaukee Chief of Police when it was released. Read More...