It's that time again. Time to go out and vote. Time to go out and put yourself behind the candidates of your choice. Despite the legislature in Wisconsin doing everything it can to make voting difficult, it's still your greatest chance to make a difference to how your country, state, and local governments will be run.
This is a particularly important election. Everyone is caught up in the presidential election, and that's mighty serious, but keep in mind that the elections that affect us all most directly are the down-ballot votes. We have an opportunity to direct fundamental change, so don't be that person who didn't care enough to go out and vote.
In this election we have a lot of choices - who should be in the final election for president. Who shall be on the state Supreme Court for the next 10 years (this one is crucial - you can pick someone who has espoused vile views, who is in the pocket of special interests, and who has shown herself to be strongly partisan, or you can vote for JoAnne Kloppenburg, someone with judicial experience and temperament who wants to help clean up the mess in our Supreme Court). You can vote for (as a friend of mine once put it) Ron Kind-Of-A-Democrat or Myron Buchholz, a local political activist.
Perhaps most importantly, all over the state there are elections for local officials of all types - school board members, county board members, city council members, and more. These are the small-town unsung heroes of our democracy - make sure you check out who is running in your area, and go vote. These offices make a difference in our lives every day.
I know who I am voting for, but I'm not going to tell you how to vote. I hope you've already made out your list for the election, and that you will vote tomorrow - no matter who you vote for.
If you don't know what to do - here are a few resources:
How do I know I have the right ID to vote? - visit bringit.wi.gov for all the information.
Who is on the ballot and where do I go to vote, check my registration status, etc. ? - go to myvote.wi.gov .
Difficulties or issues at your polling place that need to be reported? Call 1-866-VOTE-WIS or visit the GAB complaints page.
If you have any other things you need to look up, visit the main GAB web site at http://gab.wi.gov