1.  Candidates Certified by Government Accountability Board

2.  "Protect Wisconsin's Vote" Education Summit, July 24 in Milwaukee

3.  News Clips About Election Reform

Candidates Certified.  This week the Government Accountability Board certified 371 state candidates for the September 9 partisan primary election and November 4 general election.  This number includes those running for the U. S. Congress, county district attorney and state Assembly and Senate.  Several candidates were disqualified in the certification process.  For an explanation and a link to the list of candidates, click here.  The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign offers a very interesting analysis of the numbers for the Wisconsin Legislature races.

"Protect Wisconsin's Vote" Education Summit, Thursday, July 24, 5:30-8:00 pm, The Times Theater, 5906 W. Vliet Street, Milwaukee.  Topics will include: voter suppression; the myth of voter fraud; felon re-enfranchisement; bilingual voting; accessibility at polls; Election Day Registration; and the pitfalls of Voter ID.  Featuring films on voting rights, including excerpts from "Uncounted."  Sponsored by The Institute for One Wisconsin, with Voces de la Frontera, ACLU of WI, League of Women Voters, Milwaukee Co. Labor Council and Disability Rights WI.  Contact: Rob Ruzanic 414/220-9250.

News Clips and Editorials

Wisconsin State Journal, July 14 - State to Examine Election Data    Particularly striking in this article is the following figure, referring to the decentralized structure of Wisconsin election administration: "Of about 9,000 election clerks nationwide, about 2,000 are in Wisconsin, said UW-Madison political science professor Barry Burden."

New York Times, July 16 - Check That Vote This editorial points out the need for pre-certification audits, even in states with voter-verified paper requirement.

The Capital Times, July 16 - How to Make Local Races for Legislature Meaningful   This editorial supports trying out alternative voting systems, such as multi-member districts, proportional representation and instant run-off voting.