League of Women Voters-Greater Chippewa Valley

09/10/2026

🗳️ Defend Democracy and Counter Voting Distrust - Become an Election Observer 🗳️

The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin is seeking volunteers to become Election Observers this fall. The State League provides the online training, assigns volunteers to their polling place, and provide volunteers with a reporting form to record their observations. They’ll do their best to assign you to a location near your home. They’ll also train and place people who aren’t League members.

For the 2026 elections, the Election Observation Program has been focused on these areas:
1. to be sure there is no disenfranchisement
2. to monitor the voter experience - including registration and showing ID
3. to monitor the absentee ballot counting process
4. to track any problems that can be fixed for future elections

Learn more about the Election Observation Program here: Election Observer Program - https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/league-action/election-observation-program

Learn how you can become a LWVWI Election Observer here: How to Become an Election Observer - https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/about/employment-and-volunteer-opportunities-league

Program BackgroundWisconsin is one of the few states where elections are administered at the municipal level—not the county level. With over 1,800 cities, towns and villages in the state, discrepancies in election administration are bound to occur.

09/02/2026

Did you know? Wisconsin voters will see a constitutional amendment on the November 3, 2026 ballot related to discrimination and "preferential treatment."

The ballot language is intentionally misleading, Wisconsin and federal laws already prohibit discrimination. This proposed amendment would instead limit the ability of state and local governments to use policies and programs designed to address longstanding disparities and expand access to opportunity.

🗳️ Before you vote, make sure you understand what's on your ballot. Learn more and review the full fact sheet at our website:

There will be Wisconsin Constitutional Amendment questions on the ballot in the November 3, 2026 election. It is important to review these questions and break them down in more understandable terms to be an informed voter.

08/26/2026

August 26, otherwise known as Women's Equality Day, marks the anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment, which granted some women the right to vote.

Yet today, women have fewer rights than we've had in decades. To recognize this, we acknowledge Women's Inequality Day.

Why Does Women's Inequality Matter?

Inequality impacts our health: although women pay $15 million more each year for health care than men, we spend more of our lives in poor health. Those who may experience pregnancy no longer have reproductive freedom, and when we do give birth, we (particularly women of color) face high rates of maternal mortality.

It impacts our work: we’re paid less than our male counterparts and are underrepresented in leadership roles. We also deal with workplace harassment, insufficient maternal leave, and disproportionate caretaking responsibilities that affect our ability to work.

It impacts our representation: women are severely underrepresented in politics, making up only 25% of the Senate, 29% of the House, and 31.9% of statewide elective executives.

How can we make policies that protect and serve women without more women in office? And in an age where our basic freedoms and bodily autonomy are under fire, how can we ensure our rights aren’t degraded further?

August 26, otherwise known as Women's Equality Day, marks the anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment. Yet today, fewer rights than they'd had in decades. In August 2022, we launched our campaign for Women's Inequality Day, uniting to demand that lawmakers restore and protect our rights.

08/18/2026

Today is the Anniversary of 19th Amendment ratification.

Learn more about 19th Amendment here:

Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change in the Constitution – guaranteeing women the right to vote. Some suffragists used more ...

08/18/2026

This evening get a jump one of the 3 consititutional amendments that are on the November ballot!
What Wisconsin Voters Need to Know about the Anti-Equity Constitutional Amendment

Event Details:
When: Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Where: Brewery Nonic, 621 4th St., Menomonie, WI 54751

We are looking forward to you joining us at Brewery Nonic for this important educational seminar and Q&A. Joan Schwarz, LWV WI Legislative Committee Chair, will join us by Zoom to share important information and to answer our questions.

08/15/2026

✉️Letter to the Editor✉️

I trust Wisconsin's election system because I've seen it work.

My confidence comes from firsthand experience. I have served as a poll worker in multiple elections, observed elections, and voted both in person and by absentee ballot. I have watched trained local election officials and poll workers from across the political spectrum follow detailed procedures to ensure every eligible voter can cast a ballot and every ballot is handled according to the law. The process is transparent, with observers present and safeguards every step of the way.

That is why I am concerned about proposals such as the SAVE Act and other federal initiatives that would shift more responsibility to Washington and impose new burdens on Wisconsin voters and election officials. Wisconsin has a long history of administering secure, accurate elections through state and local officials who are accountable to the public.

Confidence in elections is built in polling places across Wisconsin by our neighbors who faithfully follow the law. Let's protect the system that has served Wisconsin well instead of adding unnecessary federal bureaucracy. If you agree, let Wisconsin's U.S. senators and representative know that you support keeping Wisconsin's elections in Wisconsin's hands.

Annemarie

08/13/2026

Letter to the Editor

Our society works best if everyone has a voice and is heard. That’s called “Voting.” I’ve voted all my adult life in Wisconsin, and frequently attend my township’s meetings and county meetings, sometimes speaking up.

Voting in Wisconsin is very local. I know people who work at the polls – some are my near neighbors. Some may live across town, a bit farther away. I trust them. I have worked as a Poll Observer, and, believe me, the rules ARE followed.

I ran for a seat on the Dunn County Board and I won by one vote! My competitor asked for a recount. We were both able to be present. I still won by one vote. The recount was conducted properly – paper ballots of course (which we still have now.) My competitor was satisfied. Rules were followed.

For the first time in my life, I feel my right to vote is being threatened – and by the federal government! Wisconsin really knows how to do elections. The maps may have suffered gerrymandering, but the vote-recording system is sound, and hard to change for the better. Making voting harder takes away many citizens’ rights and burdens the already hard-working clerks. Why should the federal government commandeer voter lists – and what would be done with that data?

Might that threaten YOUR right to vote?

Ellen Ochs

08/11/2026

Every voter should be able to have a smooth and efficient experience at the
polls. Let’s make sure to help create that experience by recruiting poll workers!

Sign up today to be a poll worker and help make sure our elections are
accessible and run as smoothly as possible.

Poll workers power democracy. We help recruit them! Sign up now to make sure we have safe, fair, efficient elections for all!

08/11/2026

Please read another letter to the editor from our league!

Dear Editor:
As a member of the Eau Claire area community, I have worked with local nonpartisan groups since 2017 to help people access the ballot. I am concerned about misinformation being proliferated about Wisconsin elections, and federal legislation proposed in the name of election integrity, including the SAVE Act.

While most Wisconsinites vote with no trouble, many face barriers due to lack of housing, identification, transportation, election information, or other impediments. Voting is foundational to democracy; we should remove barriers, not add them through the SAVE Act.

The SAVE Act would require documentary proof of citizenship and could disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters. Wisconsin’s Constitution clearly says noncitizens cannot vote. Voters already certify, under penalty of law, they are U.S. citizens, making proof of citizenship unnecessary. Noncitizen voting in Wisconsin is extremely rare: WEC reported only three prosecution referrals from 2019 to 2024, mostly due to eligibility misunderstandings.

The U.S. Constitution delegates elections to each state. In Wisconsin, counties, cities, and municipalities administer elections, based on state law and WEC guidelines. These local processes are run by members of our communities--our neighbors—people we know and trust.

Wisconsin’s election system has multiple safeguards: vote totals are triple checked, election results are posted online, voter roll maintenance prevents duplicate registrations and fraud, voters must prove their residence and provide photo ID, absentee voters must meet ID and witness requirements, and polling locations have a balance of observers from political parties.
These and many other checks ensure Wisconsin’s elections are accurate and transparent. More information is available at myvote.wi.gov.

If you share my concerns, I urge you to contact your U.S. Senator and Representative to oppose the SAVE Act, question misinformation about voter fraud, support election workers, learn more about Wisconsin’s election process, and VOTE!

Kimberly Vlcek

My Vote

08/09/2026

🗳️TRUST IN WISCONSIN ELECTIONS!🗳️

We’ll be sharing a series of letters to the editor from LWV-GCV. We encourage you to share and spread the word.

To the Editor:

I trust Wisconsin elections! They are run by our neighbors and people in our community who are immediately accountable to us. Municipal clerks, also known as “town clerks,” who are charged with running our elections recruit and train regular citizens like you and me to work under their supervision at the polls. They carefully follow state laws and best practices.

Both major parties nominate people to serve as election workers, and every action on election day is observed and signed off on by trained workers from each party. I’ve served as an election worker in my Wisconsin community with other poll workers from both parties and independents and I can testify to the integrity of every one.

If counting the ballots takes time, it’s because it’s done with great care and documentation. In Wisconsin we vote on paper ballots with a reliable trail for any needed recounts, and every ballot is accounted for.

Wisconsin elections are run with a simple, reliable system by people who are well trained and committed to a process with integrity. Calls to have our elections run by the federal government take away transparency and accountability. Let’s keep trust in our elections by keeping them here at home, run by people who do it best and are most accountable to us, all
the voters.

Jan Morlock