In the next few months, the Wisconsin Elections Commission will roll out a new public information campaign aimed at teaching voters more about how elections work.

Among other goals, the initiative will show people how to register to vote, how elections are secured, how to become a poll worker and what happens at polling places on election days.

Riley Vetterkind, public information officer for the Commission, told commissioners last week the project is in response to a "steady influx of questions and concerns about the elections process."

"A lot of the questions that we've received have been based in misunderstandings about the fundamentals of how elections work," Vetterkind explained. "In order to address this, we wanted to come up with a project that would help educate the public in a fun and engaging way."

Misinformation has spread like wildfire in recent years, including by former President Donald Trump during and after the November 2020 election. Citing such misinformation, several prominent Wisconsin Republican lawmakers, including the chair of the state Assembly's Election Committee, have called for "decertifying" the election results, which experts say is impossible.

Vetterkind noted the first prong of the campaign aims to reach high school students through social studies and civics classes, with the second half aimed at adults through print and broadcast public service announcements. Vetterkind added the initiative is strictly nonpartisan, and not a "get out the vote" campaign.

"To the extent that it talks about voter registration, it's simply in a mechanical way," Vetterkind emphasized. "It's just one important part of the election process. I just can't emphasize enough that this is not meant to be a voter registration campaign in any way."

Wisconsin's partisan primary election is August 9, and the General Election is Nov. 8. While the deadline to register online for the primary has passed, residents can still register to vote at their clerk's office until August 5 at 5 p.m., or they can register in-person on Election Day.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.

With the Independence Day holiday weekend here, North Dakotans might be out at parades, fireworks shows and barbecues. However, new polling indicates that many Americans are struggling to feel optimistic about the state of the country.

A new Gallup survey shows 58% of U.S. adults say they're proud to be an American. While there are some partisan splits, the overall percentage is a record low for the annual poll question.

Barbara Headrick, president of the League of Women Voters of North Dakota, said it's not surprising, given the sharp divides between the two major parties. But she feels there's something else at play.

"There is still an after effect, I believe, from the pandemic from that separation from each other that we had," she said.

That the pandemic was so politicized is another complicating factor that prevented the country from healing, Headrick said, adding that it's understandable some Americans are very concerned about various rights being taken away. However, she noted the U.S. has deep flaws throughout its history, and there are still many more rights afforded today than in past decades.

If heated rhetoric clouding U.S. politics has got you down, Headrick said, you can still show American pride through actions.

"Find a way to love your country by making it better," she said.

Headrick said it can involve showing support for civil workers or volunteering at a local homeless or animal shelter. She added that expressing pride through elections doesn't just involve voting, noting that there are opportunities to stay informed about how your local government is addressing pressing issues, such as affordable housing.


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A new Indiana law, starting today, allows school board candidates to list their political affiliation on the ballot.

Candidates may choose to register with a political party, as independents or not disclose any affiliation. Those who do not select will have a blank space next to their name and straight-ticket voting will not apply to school board races. Those opposed to the new law said it injects unnecessary politics into a role traditionally focused on education.

Leslie Jacobs, a school board member for the Fayette County School Corporation in Connersville, is against the new law.

"In my 10 years, I couldn't tell you the political leanings of anybody on my board. Never comes up," Jacobs explained. "Our discussions are purely about educational opportunities, picking a superintendent, looking at budget."

She warned requiring party labels might discourage qualified candidates from running. Supporters of the new law said it increases transparency.

Jennifer Blackburn, a school board member for the East Allen County Schools near Fort Wayne, also opposes the new law.

"The scenario that there are four candidates potentially running and three are Democrat, one is a Republican -- this last school board election -- none of us were opposed," Blackburn pointed out. "As big as our county is, there are not a lot of people running."

The law will first affect school board elections in November.


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A three-part online training series on how to run for office and govern effectively begins Monday, designed for people running at any level of government office in Western states, including Wyoming.

The training is part of the Grassroots Democracy Program under the Western Organization of Resource Councils, a group organizing in rural parts of the West and includes Wyoming's Powder River Basin Resource Council.

Gwen Lachelt, political director for the group, said the series will help answer a broad range of questions.

"Everything from, 'Am I ready to run for office? How do I organize my campaign?' To, 'how do I govern, and how can I be an effective elected official?'" Lachelt explained.

As of Friday, Lachelt noted about 50 people had signed up for the training. Registration is still open until the event starts Monday at 5:30 p.m. MT.

Lachelt added she is seeing a lot of interest in running for office from people of all age groups and all backgrounds. She emphasized the group hopes to connect with Westerners who care about natural resources.

"Our goal is to build a bench of elected officials across our regions who will champion democracy and also work to protect the West's land, air, and water," Lachelt stressed.

Guest speakers at the event include Rep. Katie Sullivan, D-Missoula, who is the House Minority Leader, and Kevin Williams, a board member of Colorado's Delta-Montrose Electric Association.


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