Sign In Forgot Password
Home

Temple Beth El Blog

The Ongoing Fight to End Gerrymandering and Voter Suppression

01/10/2022 03:59:57 PM

Jan10

On December 11, TBE Sisterhood and Men’s Club welcomed speaker Matt Rothschild to a packed Zoom room to speak about the fight to ban gerrymandering and limit dark money in political campaigns. He is the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and author of the recent book Twelve Ways to Save Democracy in Wisconsin.

Mr. Rothschild said that gerrymandering has long been practiced by both political parties, and it’s wrong no matter who does it. In today’s partisan environment, it is making government less representative than ever. Chief Justice John Roberts noted that although hyperpartisan gerrymandering is “incompatible with democracy,” it is nonetheless “non-justiciable,” or outside the review offered by federal courts. Given the unwillingness of the US Supreme Court to address the issue, it falls to Congress and the state legislatures to address the problem. In Wisconsin, there is unlikely to be any relief from either the Wisconsin Supreme Court or the state legislature.

Mr. Rothschild noted the many other attacks currently brewing against the nonpartisan administration of elections, including efforts to remove members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission and dilute their powers, threats of prosecution against city clerks, and baseless investigations of the last election. Yet he remains “at least a little hopeful” because of the grassroots activism taking place in the youth, Black Lives Matter, and climate movements. He urged each member of the audience to talk with two or three people who don’t agree with us and try to find some common ground around the facts. The talk concluded with excellent questions from moderator Marc Herstand. 

If you’re interested in pushing back on these antidemocratic practices, the Civic Engagement Action Team has some suggestions for action on partisan elections administration, gerrymandering, voting rights, and supporting local elections:

  • Ask your legislators to oppose the anti–Wisconsin Elections Commission resolution: State Assembly Representative Joe Sanfelippo is proposing a resolution demanding the resignation of five members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC), plus the WEC administrator and assistant administrator. The resolution also threatens legal action and possible criminal charges against them. Please contact your legislators and urge them not to support the resolution. You can look up your legislators using “Find my Legislator” on the legislature’s home page. 
  • Ask the Senate and president to pass the Freedom to Vote and Voting Rights Advancement Acts: Join the Union for Reform Judaism’s Religious Action Center (RAC) in calling on senators and the White House to urge them to work together to reform the filibuster and pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Together, these bills would restore protections against racially discriminatory laws and move us toward a democracy for all Americans. Join the RAC and make calls today! See here for signup information. This action will be part of a national voting rights mobilization around Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 
  • Become a poll worker: Wisconsin is still in need of people like you to serve as paid poll workers for the 2022 elections! Being a poll worker means you help people practice their freedom to vote and ensure as many people as possible can cast their ballot. Poll workers check in voters, help people register to vote, check photo IDs, and process absentee ballots. Your local clerk will provide you with training prior to Election Day for the job you will be doing. 
  • Help people register to vote: Voter registration efforts will take place throughout 2022. We will work with the League of Women Voters, BadgersVote, Voter ID Coalition, and others to help staff voter registration drives at locations across Dane County. September 22 will be National Voter Registration Day.
     
April 30, 2025 2 Iyar 5785