by Jonmaesha Beltran / Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin WatchMarch 21, 2023 Nearly 4.6 million people in the U.S. were barred from being able to vote due to a felony conviction in 2022. That includes more than 65,000 people in Wisconsin, according to The Sentencing Project, an advocacy and research group. Neighboring Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois are […]
Tag: voting
Posted inElections, Government, Local news
The 2023 primary election is Tuesday: What you need to know
RACINE COUNTY — Voters in Racine County and statewide will head to the polls Tuesday for the 2023 primary election. Here is what you need to know. 2023 primary election details Voting hours Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. How to vote To be permitted to vote in person at […]
Posted inElections, Local news
Michael Hansen: City of Racine 2023 alder candidate
Racine County Eye asked candidates to fill out a questionnaire so that our readers could learn more about them. These are Michael Hansen’s answers. Michael Hansen What position are you seeking?Alderman, District 11 How long have you lived in Racine?50 years Age50 OccupationParts manager Michael Hansen will focus on crime, small businesses and government transparency. […]
Posted inElections, Local news
Election Day 2022 in Racine County
RACINE COUNTY — Election Day has come and gone for the midterm 2022 races. While we wait for the votes to be counted, here’s a look around Racine County polling locations from Racine County Eye reporters. Racine County Eye owner, Denise Lockwood and journalist Paul Holley hit the streets to capture our county at the […]
Posted inCommunity, Elections, Government, Opinion, Politics
OPINION: Honestly speaking – Thoughts for the independent Black Voter
OPINION – Well, here we go again. The Mid-term elections are a couple of months away and Wisconsin’s Black voters find themselves trapped, as usual, in the political madness of voting for the lesser of two evils that continue to play fraudulent games with our efforts of obtaining equality. Ironically, it seems that many of […]
Posted inCelebrations
5 Ways to Celebrate National Wisconsin Day
It’s National Wisconsin Day! There’s no better day than today to celebrate all of Wisconsin’s beauty. From small-town farms to Friday night fish fries, and everything in between, this state is undeniably remarkable. Why not celebrate it? In 2019, Governor Tony Evers officially declared Feb. 15, National Wisconsin Day. Turn on your polka music, grab […]
Posted inGovernment, Opinion
EDITORIAL: Dear Republicans, voting is a right, not a privilege
I tend not to write editorials about federal and state legislation. My focus is on local issues. But I fear Republican lawmakers’ actions—and inactions—on voting rights undermine our democracy. And I see that as a very local issue. At the federal level, Republicans are hesitant to enact universal voting laws. Wisconsin Republicans hang onto voting […]
Posted inElections, Government, Local news, Politics
Steps to Obtain an ID to Vote Explained
Most Wisconsin voters already have some form of ID needed to vote, including a Wisconsin driver’s license or ID. There is no separate “voter ID” and a federally compliant REAL ID card is not required for voting purposes. The Wisconsin Elections Commission explains the acceptable options to bring to the polls on its website. The […]
Posted inElections, Government, Local news, Politics
State driver licenses and IDs are the most common forms of identification to show at the polls
Wisconsin driver licenses or IDs are the most common form of identification used for voting purposes. Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) encourages voters to check and be sure that they have the proper identification needed to vote in this month’s primary (February 16). A federally compliant REAL ID card is not […]
Posted inElections, Government, Local news, Politics
Wisconsin’s nonvoters could be a powerful bloc — but barriers, disillusionment stand in the way
By Nora Eckert Wisconsin Watch This article is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan reporting project covering local election integrity and voting access. When Angela Lang reflects on the thousands of conversations she and other members of her community organization, BLOC, have had with Milwaukee residents, one floats to the top of her mind. Angela […]
Posted inGovernment, Local news
Unlocking the vote: How other states have eased felony voting laws
The national conversation around felony voting rights has lingered for decades and is considered to be a hot potato for politicians. In Wisconsin, the state banned 68,000 felons from voting. This includes people in prison and on community supervision. In the United States, 5.2 million people can’t vote because of their criminal status. But the […]
Posted inGovernment, Local news
How voting, crime, and race became entwined
Wisconsin’s pattern of voter disenfranchisement mirrors larger American efforts to strip voting rights from felons. State law prohibits felons from voting while in prison and under community supervision, impacting over 68,000 Wisconsin residents. Often rooted in protecting public safety, denying voting rights to felons has been a consistent theme in the United States. The practice […]
Posted inElections, Government, Kenosha Government, Kenosha Lens, Local news, Politics
Wisconsin election infrastructure is mostly secure — but inaccurate counts are hard to catch and correct
Long-time Wisconsin resident and election reformer Jim Mueller said when he was a municipal clerk two decades ago, elections were not a stressful part of small town administration. And, “in my mother’s age, anybody that learned how to count by grade five could be a poll worker,” he said. His mother worked the polls in […]
Posted inElections, Government, Local news
Racine Interfaith Coalition’s Turn Up the Vote Racine Launches Next Phase on July 4
On July 4, the Racine Interfaith Coalition (RIC) will launch the next phase of its non-partisan voter outreach program, Turn Up the Vote Racine, with an informational video posted on the Turn Up the Vote Facebook page. Since 2011, a dedicated group of volunteers has worked year-round to educate voters about such topics as how […]
Posted inElections, Government, Local news, Politics
Wisconsin erected barriers to college voters, the pandemic added more
On the day of the Wisconsin spring primary in February, Peter German was determined to vote. In between strained breaths, German — a freshman from West Bend attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison — said he had been running from building to building in an attempt to cast his ballot. “I haven’t missed an election yet,” […]