Dear Supporter,
Tomorrow, April 2nd is Election Day. Two constitutional amendments are on the ballot, Questions 1 and 2, and it's imperative that we rally together to ensure their passage. Both amendments will help improve the integrity and trust of our state’s elections.
Question 1 addresses the concerning issue of private funding in election administration. It proposes the creation of Section 7(1) of Article III of the constitution to prohibit the application, acceptance, expenditure, or use of private donations and grants in connection with the conduct of any primary, election, or referendum. This amendment is crucial to safeguarding the fairness and impartiality of our electoral process. We must ensure that outside interests do not unduly influence a process that needs to be completely impartial.
Amendment 2 focuses on the role of election officials. It seeks to establish Section 7(2) of Article III, which stipulates that only designated election officials as prescribed by law may perform tasks related to the conduct of primaries, elections, and referendums. By restricting outside special interests from meddling in the official election administration process, this amendment ensures transparency and accountability in our electoral system.
WILL RECOMMENDS A YES VOTE ON BOTH QUESTIONS 1 & 2
These amendments stem from the concerning influx of private funds, often dubbed "Zuckerbucks," that infiltrated Wisconsin's 2020 election. Financed by grants from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg through the Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL), these funds were distributed unevenly, with larger cities receiving disproportionate amounts. Previous research from WILL showed that Wisconsin’s 5 biggest cities (Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha and Racine) received approximately 86% of the overall grant funding in the state.
