'My Voice, My Vote' - Volume 54, Issue 3

Design by COREY HOLL

Candidates, policies up for election in Dane County, across Wisconsin

November ballot has statewide, local races, referendum questions

by Aashna Sheth State News Associate Editor

The midterm election is set to take place Nov. 8. The ballot will contain candidates for both statewide and local positions, along with a few referendum questions.

In the pivotal gubernatorial race, incumbent Tony Evers will be running on behalf of the Democratic Party, and Tim Michels will be the Republican candidate on the ballot.

Candidates are increasing their campaign ef forts across the state of Wisconsin and in Madison specifically as the election approaches.

Evers visited with supporters near the Uni versity of Wisconsin campus Sept. 27 and held an early vote rally on campus Oct. 26 with other Democratic candidates up for re-election. Michels and Republican candidate for attorney general Eric Toney visited with the College Republicans on campus Oct. 25.

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson will be running for re-election for the Class 3 U.S. Senate seat. Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes will be opposing John son as the Democratic candidate in the race.

For Attorney General, Republican candidate Eric Toney will be running against Democratic incumbent Josh Kaul.

Other pivotal races in this election include lieu tenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, representatives in the U.S. House of Representa tives, state senators from odd-numbered districts and state representatives, according to Municipal Clerk and Public Information Officer Maggie McClain.

For voters in Dane County, offices on the ballot

will specifically include the representative in Congressional District 2, representative to the As sembly District 76, Dane County sheriff and Dane County clerk of circuit court, according to MyVote Wisconsin.

The Dane County referendum questions will be on the topics of marijuana and abortion, ac cording to MyVote Wisconsin.

The incumbent from Congressional District 2, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Kenosha), is running against Republican Erik Olsen and Independent Douglas Alexander, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

The incumbent and only candidate running to be representative of Assembly District 76 is Francesca Hong, though the ballot does include a write-in section, according to the Wisconsin Elec tions Commission.

The Dane County sheriff’s race is between Democratic incumbent Kalvin Barrett and Repub lican Anthony Hamilton.

The only candidate for the Dane County clerk of circuit court is Democratic incumbent Carlo Esqueda, according to MyVote Wisconsin.

Because there are so many offices on the ballot, Sen. Kathleen Bernier (R-Chippewa Falls) said some positions can go without recognition during each election.

“The one statewide race that doesn’t ever get enough attention is the secretary of state posi tion,” Bernier said. “In most states, the secretary of state is very instrumental in running elections, among other things and is a very important posi tion.”

Secretary of state candidates include Demo cratic incumbent Doug La Follette, Republican

Amy Lynn Loudenbeck, Libertarian Neil Harmon and Wisconsin Green Party candidate Sharyl R. McFarland, according to MyVote Wisconsin.

Though the ballots will include the candidate’s party affiliation, Bernier encourages voters to do research on candidates before voting for them based on party lines.

“Let’s face it, we all lean one party or the other but to blindly just vote for people one party or the other is probably not advisable,” Bernier said. “You just really need to know who’s running and why they’re running.”

UW political science professor David Canon shared his thoughts on the election’s potential na tional outcomes and how it affects UW students.

Though many of the seats up for election are not national offices, Canon said they still matter for UW students’ futures.

“National politics are so important for every thing from the environment and climate change — they just passed the biggest climate change spending bill we’ve ever had at the end of the summer,” Canon said. “That kind of thing would not be happening in future Congresses if you didn’t have unified Democratic control because the Republican Party has definitely indicated they’re not in favor of spending on issues like that.”

Canon also mentioned the economy as an aspect of why elections matter.

Because students are often interested in getting jobs when they graduate, if the economy is doing well, job prospects when they graduate are better than they would be if the economy was in a reces sion, Canon said.

All of these things, including abortion and

other issues, are going to be shaped by the out come of these elections in November, according to Canon.

Additionally, Canon described the election’s outcome as having a big impact on state support for UW.

“State support for UW is not likely to increase much with the split right now in state govern ment with Republicans controlling the state legis lature and a Democratic governor, but what Tony Evers has been able to do for UW is to prevent any bigger budget cuts that we saw in the previ ous eight years or so,” Canon said. “UW has a smaller share of state support, so state politics has a bigger impact on UW directly because it does provide a fair amount of our budget still.”

As the election approaches, the City of Madi son Clerk’s Office is prepared for a high voter turnout rate on Election Day — especially given Wisconsin allows same-day voter registration, according to McClain.

A report from the Wisconsin Elections Com mission indicated 64% of Dane County residents were registered to vote as of July 1.

“We have to be prepared for lots of registra tions coming in on Election Day, and that is espe cially a consideration we make for those campus wards,” McClain said. “So many students register on Election Day at their polling place, so we’re prepared for that.”

A full list of offices on the ballot, including incumbents and opponents, can be found on the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s website. Information on voting, including registration and polling place information, can be found on My Vote Wisconsin’s website.

experts weigh in on upcoming Senate race, issues of importance

by Lucy Wentink City News Associate Editor

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic candidate Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes voiced their opinions on critical election issues in the final Senate debate Oct. 13.

The opponents discussed various topics — including reproductive rights, gun violence, Social Security spending, inflation and more.

Just before the debate, Johnson stated his support for ending the idea of mandatory spending and making every piece of funding conditional. Johnson has repeatedly stated his goal to make the program a part of the discretionary budget.

As a result, the topic of Social Security has become a key issue in Wisconsin’s race for U.S. Senate.

Payroll taxes from U.S. workers and their employers provide the funding for Social Security programs. The money individuals pay into the program now is allocated toward people receiving it today. Simply put, today’s workers pay for today’s retirees, according to University of Wisconsin political science assistant professor Eleanor Powell.

The program is currently solvent, meaning it has enough money to pay all the beneficiaries who are of retirement age, UW political science professor Barry Burden said. But, it will face some challenges in the future as the number of retirees begins to outpace the number of workers, Burden said.

Social Security is on track to deplete its reserve funds by 2034. From that point on, it will only be able to pay 77% of scheduled benefits, according to the federal Social Security Administration.

UW political science professor, David Canon said the depletion of funds is often misunderstood.

“A lot of people say that Social Security will be bankrupt by 2034, but that’s not at all what it means,” Canon said. “It means that they won’t be able to fully fund all the benefits that have been promised under the current law.”

Government spending is broken down into two main categories — mandatory and discretionary. Currently, Social Security is a type of mandatory spending, according to Powell.

Social Security is considered an entitlement program because of budgeting procedures, Powell said. The program continues to exist without Congress having to re-authorize it every year. Additionally, if an individual qualifies for it, they receive the benefits without having to re-apply, according to Powell.

“These are programs that tend to come and go from one year to the next,” Burden said. “Whereas long-term programs, especially entitlement programs like Social Security are expected to be there from one year to the next.”

Johnson plans to remove Social Security from its entitlement status. As a result, the status of Social Security would need to be

This change would give Congress the power to alter the benefits in the program every year when it writes the budget, creating a lot of uncertainty for people who plan to receive benefits, Burden said.

“Congress is not very good at writing budgets,” Burden said. “They often fail to produce a budget at all, or it gets thrown together because of a deadline with a

a rational, orderly process, so revoking the entitlement status of Social Security would create significant instability in the program, Burden said.

“Social Security is almost certainly the most popular social program that we have, and so it really was somewhat surprising that Sen. Johnson proposed that,” Canon said.

Democratic challenger Barnes said in the debate he wants to keep Social Security as a mandatory program and supports raising the cap on the Social Security tax.

As of 2022, wages above $147,000 aren’t taxed for the Social Security fund, according to the Social Security Administration. Raising the salary cap would subject a greater share of income to the Social Security payroll tax than currently is done right now, Canon said.

Having people who can afford to pay more in Social Security tax is one of the easiest ways to raise the program’s funds, Canon said.

But politicians can be reluctant to implement this policy because they want to maintain support from high-income individuals — who often donate money to campaigns, according to Canon.

“If it comes down to doing something that’s going to cut benefits for other people or make people work longer to qualify for full benefits, it seems that raising the salary cap is something that would be less politically painful than either of those two things,” Canon said.

Wisconsin’s Senate race is one of the races that could determine which party controls Congress, according to Canon.

Currently, the Senate is split 50/50 — meaning half of the Senate is Democratic and the other half is Republican. Race for control of the Senate is very close in this election given the current balance of the chamber. About a third of the seats are up for election right now, meaning every seat could have a big impact, Powell said.

The Democrats need 50 votes to pass budgets under the rules of the Senate, so if they were to lose even one seat, they would lose the ability to control the agenda in the Senate, which would be a major blow to the Biden agenda for the next couple of years, Burden said.

assessed annually. This includes whether it would continue to exist and at what funding level it would exist, Powell said. Additionally, this would require Congress to have to vote on the topic of Social Security and the president to have to sign off on its status, according to Powell.

small number of congressional leaders and members of the White House staff.”

Over the past 40 years, Congress has completed all appropriations before the start of the fiscal year just four times, according to the Pew Research Center.

Crafting a deal at the last moment is not

“If Republicans were to gain back the majority and Ron Johnson were to win, he would probably become a committee chair and have a platform in the Senate that he doesn’t have today,” Burden said. “So there are very significant consequences for UW students and the rest of the country from who controls the Senate.”

‘There are very significant consequences for UW students and the rest of the country from who controls the Senate,’ UW professor says

Social Security is at stake in the Senate election, according to UW experts.

DAVID GUENTHNER. THE BADGER HERALD.

Tony Evers, Tim Michels, Attorney General Josh Kaul, Eric Toney

by Maddie Bergstrom Campus News Associate Editor

The midterm election in Wisconsin will take place Nov. 8, 2022. Across the state, individuals will vote on the next governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. senator, attorney general, secretary of state and state treasurer.

The candidates for governor include Democratic incumbent Tony Evers and Republican Tim Michels. Gubernatorial candidates Evers and Michels answered questions about election issues, sharing their stances and plans for addressing these issues if elected.

Diversity in Wisconsin

Since 2010, the population in Wisconsin has increased by 3.6%, according to the 2020 Census. Though white individuals still make up a majority of the population at 80.4%, this number has decreased by 3.4% from 2010.

Minority populations, however, have increased since 2010. In Brown, Winnebago and Outagamie Counties, three-fourths of the population growth from the past decade can be attributed to Black, Asian, Native American and Hispanic residents, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.

Wisconsin’s diversity index — which measures the amount of diversity in the state — was 37% in 2020, according to the Census.

Q: As America becomes more diverse and minorities are no longer the minority, how will you make sure we are helping future generations become more culturally aware citizens, especially in a predominantly white state such as Wisconsin? How do you plan on supporting people of different identities across the state?

Evers A: Diversity makes us stronger as a state and that makes us stronger as a nation. We should be welcoming people from other countries. In Wisconsin, we have two or three towns that are now majority minority, some of

our smallest towns in the state, so we just have to continue working to make sure they feel comfortable. And also, especially with some folks, provide resources for driver’s licenses, instate tuition, things like that.

Michels A: The way I was born and raised, and the way I always operated in the army and at Michels [is] I treat everybody the same. I treat everybody with respect equally, and I think that’s what people want. So we’re going to have a better economy in Wisconsin. We’re going to have better education opportunities in Wisconsin. We’re going to have more money in people’s pockets here in Wisconsin and that is what is going to make everybody happy and responsible.

Equal opportunity for everybody.

Education

The 2019 National Assessment of Education Progress’ “Nation’s Report Card” revealed that Wisconsin has the worst racial achievement gap of any state.

The 2022 Nation’s Report Card — the first since the pandemic — found that white students scored nearly 37% higher than Black students in fourth-grade math and 22% higher in reading. The difference in fourth-grade math scores exceeded the national average.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the gaps in test scores result from various things, including unequal access to opportunities and resources.

Q: Education continues to be an issue of equitable access. The richest counties continue to rank as the top K-12 schools in Wisconsin with those schools producing higher graduation rates as well as other better “measurable outcomes.”

How do you plan to address this divide/ segregation?

Evers A via an email statement to the Badger Herald: I am committed to closing the achievement gaps in schools. As a former teacher

and superintendent, I believe what’s best for our kids is what’s best for our state. All kids deserve access to quality education, which is why I’ve supported increasing funding for our schools and initiatives to close these gaps. I have proposed the Urban Excellence Initiative, which would expand summer school, enhance early childhood education, support community engagement to improve academic achievement and assist principals in the state’s five largest school districts. I’ll also continue to support Wisconsin’s rural school districts through sparsity aid and transportation funding to give rural communities the support they need to deliver high-quality education. We have to make sure when we provide funding for education that no kid gets left behind.

Michels A: I’m gonna treat everybody equally in Wisconsin. I’m gonna treat every student the same, regardless of zip code. Of course, regardless of race and regardless of learning ability, everybody’s gonna get treated the same. Now, the one asterisk on that is I understand learning ability, that there are some special needs students, and they need more specialized education. But what I’m gonna do with universal school choice is gonna raise the tide, which is gonna lift all ships, and there’s gonna be better educational opportunities for all students across the state. The Evers administration is [saying] I want to take all this money from public schools and give it to private schools. That is not the case at all. My administration [is] gonna have more money for education than any government in the history of the state of Wisconsin. I also believe that having the parental ability – [that] their sons and daughters [can] be students at the schools of their choice – that’s gonna be a great motivator, that’s gonna give us greater competition, and I think we’re gonna do a better job of educating all students of Wisconsin.

Climate Change

In recent years, Wisconsin has seen an increase in intense and frequent rainstorms, according to the Department of Natural Resources. These storms can result in flooding, bodily harm and illness, dams breaking and soil erosion, among other consequences.

Changes in temperatures can impact both the survivability and habitat of wildlife, fish and plants in the state, according to the DNR. Wisconsin currently has a fishing industry worth $2 billion a year.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals known for having water and stain resistant qualities. PFAS enters the human body through drinking water and has been linked to lower birth weights, certain kidney and testicular cancers, immune and reproductive system harm, along with altered hormones.

Voluntary testing of water utilities has found

high levels of PFAS contamination in 14 locations across the state, according to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Q: What are your stances on climate change and how will you address climate change concerns in Wisconsin as increasing temperatures impact plants, wildlife and fish in Wisconsin? How will you address water contamination issues in the state?

Evers A via an email statement to the Badger Herald: I am committed to protecting Wisconsin’s environment, public lands and natural resources while building a strong and healthy future for all. Climate change is real, and it’s one of the biggest issues at home and all around the world. That’s why I’ve created the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change – which is a diverse, bipartisan coalition of farmers, environmental advocates, Indigenous leaders, utility companies and businesses. I also issued an executive order for Wisconsin to be carbon neutral in electricity generation by 2050 and announced Wisconsin’s first-ever Clean Energy Plan, which will serve as a roadmap for the state’s transition to a strong clean energy economy. As governor, I have prioritized safe drinking water accessibility, even declaring 2019 the Year of Clean Drinking Water because all Wisconsinites deserve access to safe drinking water and clean natural resources. I’m proud to say that Wisconsin has now adopted PFAS standards for drinking and surface water, setting clear guidelines to keep our communities safe for generations to come. I also introduced legislation that would provide funding and state support for communities dealing with PFAS contamination, created the Wisconsin PFAS Action Council and directed funding to communities to voluntarily test for PFAS.

Michels A: The PFAS issue — at Michels, we stand behind all of our work, and I will expect every corporation, every company in Wisconsin to do the right thing — like we do — if they make a mess, they have to clean it up. So, if these companies are gone, they can’t be found because they declared bankruptcy or whatever. Then, I do believe it’s the role of government to step in and put in water infrastructure so that people can have clean, uncontaminated water. It’s one of the most vital things needed in life. So if the corporations did the wrong thing and they can’t be found — if we can find them we’re gonna make them clean up the mess, first of all, even to this very last dollar. If we can’t find them, then I do believe it is a proper role of government to provide clean drinking water for people.

In the Attorney General race, Democratic incumbent Josh Kaul will be opposing Republican candidate, Eric Toney. Toney and Kaul answered questions regarding polarization and crime in Wisconsin.

Read the full version of this story online with more questions about crime and polarization.

SHANE FRUCHTERMAN.

BADGER

by Caroline Crowley Managing Editor

Entering the gubernatorial election, Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced a $90 million allocation into K-12 education for mental health services, staffing needs and classroom support.

Of the allocation, $15 million will support the “Get Kids Ahead” initiative, which is intended to build comprehensive school mental health systems.

“Whether it’s making sure kids have access to mental health services, helping with increased costs of classroom and school supplies due to national inflation, or retaining and recruiting educators and staff to keep class sizes small, these investments will go toward making sure our kids have the resources and support to get caught up and be successful both in and out of the classroom,” Evers said in a press release.

Scott Phillips, a U.S. history teacher in Whitewater, Wisconsin, said a plan for mental

health support was necessary when returning to in-person instruction after the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 26% more school-aged children had anxiety or depression in the United States in 2020 than 2016.

These mental health impacts coincide with the pandemic and rising concerns about violence in schools. They don’t impact all students equally — according to Kids Forward, 60% of Indigenous children, 26% of Black children and 22% of Latinx children in Wisconsin were reported to have anxiety or depression. Fifteen percent of white children reported the same symptoms.

Phillips hopes Evers’ funding will support students who are struggling after a return to inperson instruction.

“There just apparently seems to be a lot of data out there about teens who are struggling

with anxiety, and then you throw COVID on top of that,” Phillips said. “I hope this money’s going to make a difference in terms of having support for those teens that need it, whatever that is … resources, training [or] bringing more staff in.”

Schools that were eligible to receive funding will be able to create comprehensive school mental health systems. These systems are intended to support student and staff mental health through several pathways — school mental health teams, crisis support, mentoring and peer-to-peer suicide prevention are just a few of these strategies.

The plan includes mental health resources for teachers, too — Phillips said these resources are important for educators after the pandemic.

“So many of us [teachers] were a mess when we came back from COVID,” Phillips said.

With the approaching election, Phillips said it’s a treacherous time to be teaching high

school. He worries about remaining neutral on political topics or saying something that is misinterpreted as partisan in the classroom.

But it’s an exciting time for Phillips, too — students are more involved in classroom discussions because they are more politically engaged, and he is excited about the election’s large implications on both state and federal levels.

Professor emeritus from the Political Science Department at the University of Wisconsin La Follette School of Affairs John Witte said that while the election was probably a factor in Evers’ allocation, his support of education is no surprise.

Witte said the money allocated to mental health funds was partly a reaction to violence in schools.

“I think that’s a reaction to the terrible things that have happened in schools, shootings and the violence that’s happened,” Witte said. “… That’s for a relatively new category of things and I’m sure it’s a direct reaction to violence in the schools in the last couple years.”

Tim Michels, Evers’ Republican opponent, disagrees with the level of spending on education resources. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Michels said Evers’ $90 million allocation was a political plan and that spending more money on schools is unnecessary.

Michels also stated that Evers’ education policies are anti-parent and pro-special interest, and that they don’t resonate with voters in Wisconsin. In a debate, Michels said more investments in education are not helping future generations.

“There’s no greater investment than the future generations of Wisconsin. The problem there is we’re already throwing so much money at education,” Michels said during the debate. “That’s been the fix, if you will, for the last 10, or 20, or 30 years, more money on education, more money on education, and it’s not working — the definition of insanity.”

Michels and Evers have different education policy strategies, Witte said. Main focuses of the gubernatorial race surrounding education are on issues of school choice and teachers’ unions.

Despite rising cases of poor mental health in K-12 students, it is not a widely contested topic. Phillips said because mental health resources are not as polarizing, they aren’t talked about as much as they should be.

“I don’t hear nearly enough about mental health. I don’t hear them talking about it enough. We talk about the issues that polarize us and are going to motivate people to have a strong emotional reaction, get us to the polls,” Phillips said. “...Do you think we’ll hear a question asked in the senator’s race or the governor’s race debate about mental health?”

‘Do you think we’ll hear a question asked in the senator’s race or the governor’s race debate about mental health?’ Wisconsin teacher asks Mental health resources for K-12 schools at stake in governor’s race

Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race most expensive in country

by Stella Richards Reporter

Wisconsin’s 2022 gubernatorial race between incumbent Tony Evers and challenger Tim Michels has become the most expensive governor’s race in the United States.

Bowdoin College legal studies professor, Michael Franz said various factors contribute to high campaign spending for Democratic and Republican candidates, with the most spending being allocated towards advertisements.

Franz directs the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks advertising in federal elections. The project is a successor to the former Wisconsin Advertising Project, which conducted political advertising research between 1996 and 2008.

Gaining — or maintaining — control of the governor and Senate seats in Wisconsin is incredibly important for both parties, Franz said. Candidates receive large portions of their funding from outside donors, and this funding plays a critical role in advertising for the elections in the state.

Revenue sources for candidates include Political Action Committees (PACs), which are often established by corporations, organizations or labor unions, according to the State of Wisconsin Ethics Committee. PACs typically lean on members to pool funding that is donated to individual candidates, ballot initiatives or legislation.

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign maintains a list of PACs in the state of Wisconsin —including donation sums and history.

Close races often come down to deliberate and calculated decisions, making advertising an invaluable instrument for candidates to gain

support from voters, Franz said. During the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton did not advertise heavily in Wisconsin. As a result, she was not the leading candidate in the state.

With the 2022 midterm elections, candidates are claiming as much airtime as possible. If a candidate loses, they want to make sure that they advertised in every territory possible. As a result, campaigns are getting more expensive, Franz said.

Wisconsin’s gubernatorial and Senate elections have garnered national attention because of the competitive nature of the races.

Thus, candidates are receiving increased pressure to broaden their range of advertisements, Franz said.

PACs and other funding organizations are aggressively pursuing candidates in their advertisement sprees because of the limited space for ads, according to Franz.

Tim Michels has largely selffunded his governor’s campaign, contributing nearly $12 million, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Michels initially denied donations from super PACs but has reversed his decision and now accepts large donations from large organizations up to $20,000 — the maximum allowed donation by law.

Tony Evers raised over $4.5 million dollars in the span of 37 days, according to WisPolitics.

UW political science and public affairs professor, John Witte said his precedent of campaign spending by both parties in Wisconsin is likely to continue. Over the last three decades, media advertising has become the biggest way for political campaigns to take place.

“It has always been the case —in the last 30 years — that media advertising has been the biggest way for political campaigns to take place,” Witte said.

Evers has come out with more funding than Michels for the election, due to early funding as the incumbent governor, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.

Evers’ top donor is the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s Segregated Fund and Tim Michels is the top donor of his own campaign, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

Evers’ campaign spokesperson, Sam Roecker said grassroots organizing is at the heart of their campaign, and investing in this is pertinent for the election in an email statement to The Badger Herald.

Winning by only one percentage point in 2018, elections come down to every single vote, and expanding advertisements in every way possible ensure nothing is taken for granted,

Roecker said.

To bolster support for candidates, television advertisements for the Wisconsin gubernatorial race from Oct. 3-16 totaled 12,515 airings, where Democrats have had an advantage with 3,673 more airings, according to the media project.

A majority of these campaign advertisements have been attack ads, according to the media project. Attack ads can be challenging, as many voters aren’t in favor of them and find them too harsh. But by dominating a majority of airtime, campaigns continue to stream them, Franz said.

Negative campaigning is the most effective tool for winning an election, Witte said. Since Sept. 5, there have been 32,925 advertisements for the governor race, according to the media project, 74.9% of which have been attack ads.

Political advertisements are helpful in reminding people to vote. But when attack advertisements dominate the media, it can impact the flow of accurate information, Franz said.

“It’s important that voters see their responsibility as citizens to participate,” Franz said. “But actually, we need to start taking the reins and insisting that the information flow is truthful and accurate, or as truthful and accurate as it can be. And that we reject information and purveyors of information that are trying to tell us mistruths and lies.”

prove invaluable resources for candidates to gain support, expert says

AINA MOHD NASER. THE BADGER HERALD.

Wisconsin’s governor’s race is highly funded due to the state’s battleground nature, according to experts.

DAVID GUENTHNER. THE BADGER HERALD.

Local institutions take efforts to encourage voting on election day

BadgersVote coalition addresses voting barriers, Ian’s Pizza brings back “Mac the Vote” initiative

by Maddie Bergstrom Campus News Associate Editor

Institutions in Madison are working to prevent barriers and encourage voting within the community ahead of the Wisconsin midterm election.

University of Wisconsin freshman Amanjot Kaur is passionate about civic engagement. According to Kaur, there are many reasons students should participate in the midterm election.

Young people have significantly different needs than the rest of the population and voting acts as one of the most accessible ways for students to have a say on how their government runs, Kaur said.

“If we want those needs to be addressed, voting is a good way to have power in numbers and have elected officials pay attention to us as a constituency, as a group,” Kaur said.

Not everyone at the university has equal access to voting, though.

Students balancing busy schedules may have trouble finding time to research candidates and vote. Individuals attending UW from out-of-state may face additional barriers, such as acquiring the required identification needed to vote, Kaur said.

As an intern for BadgersVote, Kaur works with other students, faculty and staff to help alleviate some of these barriers to voting at the university.

In preparation for the midterm election, BadgersVote volunteers and interns complete extensive voter registration, inform students about the voting process and participate in programs –such as debate viewings – to help students learn about the issues at stake, director of the Elections Research Center Barry Burden said in an email statement to the Badger Herald.

The university itself helps decrease voting barriers in a few ways, Kaur said. One of the biggest things is providing free voter identification.

On election day, the WisCard office will operate with extended hours to provide voter-compliant IDs while polls remain open, Burden said. Volunteers with BadgersVote will also help print temporary IDs at polling locations on campus.

UW also offers multiple polling locations on campus for students and employees to conveniently access, Burden said.

Even though classes are still scheduled for election day, Burden said faculty are asked to be flexible.

“Campus policy allows students to miss class without penalty if they are serving as election workers,” Burden said. “Instructors are asked not to have major assignments on election day and to provide flexibility to students who are late to class or absent because of the time required to vote.”

There are some areas where the university could improve voter engagement and education, according to Kaur. Currently, most of the voter

outreach done on campus is not on UW social media but rather through groups on campus doing voter initiatives, Kaur said.

It can be difficult to get a message out in the most effective way when different groups on campus are not coordinated with each other, Kaur said. BadgersVote hopes to improve communication between the different voting initiatives on campus.

“I wish I could see more voter registration information — deadlines, posts, things like that on the UW-Madison Instagram, which has 100,000 plus followers. We’d be able to [reach] more students than we would with our Instagram, “ Kaur said. “But aside from that, I think that the university is really good at responding to what students need and providing resources, and that’s probably the most important thing – letting students know that those resources exist.”

Off campus, Madison businesses are finding unique ways to support employees and encourage

voting on election day. Ian’s Pizza started a “Mac the Vote” initiative.

This isn’t the first time Ian’s Pizza supported an election. For the last six years, the restaurant served as a site for voter registration, Ian’s Pizza marketing director Zachary Chapman said.

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced polling places to close during the 2020 Primary Election, Ian’s Pizza opened their doors.

The “Mac the Vote” initiative started in 2018, Chapman said. At that time, customers could show any sticker and receive a free slice of mac ‘n cheese pizza.

“I think a lot of people assumed they didn’t need to vote,” Chapman said. “And when all the feedback came back, it showed there was lower voter turnout [and] young people were a big part of that group. A big part of our customer base is students, so it was like, ‘What can we do to encourage people to vote?’”

Since the pandemic prevented “Mac the Vote”

from safely occurring in 2020, Ian’s Pizza has big plans for this year’s election. The restaurant will remain closed until 5 p.m. to allow employees ample time to get to the polls, Chapman said.

Anyone who comes in during open hoursbetween 5 and 10 p.m. - will receive a free slice of mac ‘n cheese pizza. The restaurant is also encouraging employees to volunteer at the polls and will bring pizza to nearby polling stations as a thank you to workers, Chapman said.

Ian’s Pizza will pay any employees who volunteer at the polls the wage they would’ve made during their shift, Chapman said. Those who missed out on a shift have the opportunity to help make pizzas for poll workers.

“For as long as we’ve been around, we’ve been pro-democracy, pro-pizza, so it just seems like a hand in hand partnership here,” Chapman said. “We’re not looking to take one side over another. We’re really just encouraging people to get out and make their voice heard via ballot.”

Ian’s Pizza is encouraging employees to get out to vote in the midterm with the “Mac the Vote” initiative.

AINA MOHD NASER. THE BADGER HERALD.

Journalists vs fake news: Michael Wagner battles misinformation

UW professor studies roots of misinformation spread

by Sofia Valdes Gillespie Science News Reporter

Since he was a kid, University of Wisconsin professor in the School of Journalism Michael Wagner was interested in why people believe what they believe. This idea fascinated him so much that he decided to study this idea.

Wagner received a Journalism degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1998 and then earned his Ph.D. in political science from Indiana University in 2006.

At the beginning of his journey, Wagner was a journalist. He found he wanted to be more involved in what goes on behind the scenes — to go more in depth and to learn how people think, he said.

But the daily deadlines just weren’t enough time to reflect on what he learned through his time as a journalist.

Now a professor and director of graduate studies at UW’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Wagner is an award-winning academic

figure who instructs courses from the 200800 level that focus on reporting, political communication, media and behavior, physiology and communication, factchecking, public opinion and opinion writing.

His studies have given him the opportunity to be much more involved in research and the campus community.

“Research is supposed to matter more than just academic journals and books, but it’s supposed to matter for the people of the states, of the country and of the world,” Wagner said.

Wagner’s research is published in several journals. He also wrote a book called “Political Behavior in the Electorate” and is currently in the process of more research surrounding the precursor to news coverage via survey experiments of American journalists who cover politics.

School of Journalism and Mass

Communication Professor Dhavan Shah is working together with Wagner among others and the National Science Foundation to develop a tool for journalists to avoid spreading misinformation.

“As time has passed, it’s become increasingly clear that there is a lot of misinformation and disinformation that is in our information ecosystem, and the forces that are trying to promote that misinformation and disinformation require a large set of careful and creative researchers to try to understand what’s going on here,” Wagner said.

Wagner and the team are trying to make it easier for journalists to determine what to fact check. They also consider marketing these fact checks to their audience in an effective way.

Wagner’s wisdom is what makes him a valuable resource to the research team, Shah said, especially when it comes to their research surrounding misinformation. Together, Wagner and Shah make a powerful team that will continue to produce valuable research about the spread of misinformation.

“I’ve learned a lot from his perspective as a journalist and as someone who has been inside of newsrooms, has thought about how news is created, has been in broadcast media,” Shah said. “He’s really thoughtful about the journalistic side of things. And I think that gives him a lot of

credibility with journalists.”

For Wagner, his research means more than just providing information to the academics of the world. To him, it means sharing his research and valuable knowledge to the public. Wagner often attends in person conferences, as well as web based events. Sometimes he offers recordings online from the events for anyone to access.

Wagner said working together with the community creates a more involved environment. By doing this, he makes the science more available to people and makes connections along the way. He also said the feedback from the community sparks new research questions, and he learns about the people’s wants and concerns.

“I’ve learned a lot from him from the way he manages to blend his teaching, research and service in ways that are complementary,” Shah said. “He’s someone who sees points of connection between what he’s doing, and that allows him to make sure he’s getting the most out of all of it. I think it makes him a better teacher, scholar and colleague.”

Without efforts like Wagner’s, Shah’s and the rest of their research group who are trying to slow the misinformation epidemic, who knows where misinformation in journalism would stand today.

Michael Wagner teaches a variety of courses in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

JASON CHAN. THE BADGER HERALD.

Political advertising’s role in elections: How messaging swings voters

by Scott McInerney Science News Editor

Advertising is a key component of campaign strategies in an election cycle. This year, political campaigns are spending record amounts of money on advertising, according to NPR.

Beyond the incessant TV commercials and candidate approved messages, campaigns and politicians spend so much money on political advertising because it is a successful strategy for swaying some undecided voters, according to School of Journalism and Mass Communications Professor Douglas McLeod.

McLeod said despite the massive funding dedicated to political advertising, it does not influence the vast majority of voters’ decisions

but can be influential towards some swing voters. Most voters make a decision based on partisan identity or other factors regardless of political ads.

Political advertisements’ inability to sway voters to support certain candidates may arise from psychological factors. School of Journalism and Mass Communications Professor Chris Cascio studies persuasion and social influence, particularly in the media.

Cascio said regardless of the message, in order for an ad to lead to behavioral changes — like deciding who to vote for— it must trigger mechanisms in the brain that respond to rewards. He said most political advertising does not

display the qualities that any message needs to be persuasive — value and self-relevance.

“[The message] is something that is near and dear to me in terms of the value, and then that self component is like it’s close to me as well,” Cascio said. “So any sort of information that seems to tie into that system seems to increase the likelihood that people are going to go on to change their behavior.”

Rather than swaying the masses, political advertising is used to generate funds, by mobilizing people to donate and influencing undecided swing voters, according to McLeod. McLeod said advertisements can sway

undecided voters to vote in the first place and sway them to vote for the desired candidate.

“In our system, it can be 51 to 49,” McLeod said. “So sometimes those small numbers of swing voters who actually make up their mind later, both in terms of whether to vote and who to vote for, are actually influential. And so that’s where political advertising has its influence.”

Cascio said political advertisements may use emotional elements to mobilize voters and “get people riled up.” The emotional aspect of a message can be useful in altering short term behaviors. The traditional models psychologists use to understand persuasion suggest that short term persuasion methods relate to a person’s mood or feelings, which only last a short while themselves, Cascio said.

Some political ads that make particular use of emotional messaging are negative ads.

“Everything’s attack ads, and very little is on thinking about issues,” Cascio said.

McLeod said while the public has a general distaste for negative ads, they are overall effective. Sometimes negative ads can influence a voter to vote against a certain candidate or simply to not vote at all. Perceived barriers to voting, like taking time off work, and voter intimidation can particularly influence these outcomes.

It’s easier to discourage someone to vote if they feel intimidated or have to wait in a long line, McLeod said. Under conditions where it’s difficult to vote, like waiting in lines and needing time off work, messages are designed to make people think it’s not worth the trouble of voting because they don’t like a certain candidate that much.

Political ads can also be targeted to certain communities to minimize turnout. Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication Young Mie Kim found evidence of targeted voter suppression in the 2016 election through disinformation advertisements from Russian actors, according to The Badger Herald.

Using similar strategies of attack ads, these advertisements were designed to emphasize barriers to voting or even promote a voting boycott to influence people not to vote, according to The Badger Herald.

The massive amounts of money going toward advertising can produce desirable outcomes for a campaign, but in reality other factors like misinformation can sway voters just as well, according to McLeod. This makes the use of political advertisements both a strategy for politicians and a nuisance to the public.

“It’s a lot of resources going to support political advertising,” McLeod said. “There is some learning from political advertising, but there’s also as much learning from disinformation and misinformation. That is kind of a negative. So that, to me is, the big story — it seems to be a waste of money.”

SCOTT MCINERNEY. THE BADGER HERALD.

UW Elections Research Center offers insight into state, national elections

by Lydia Larsen Science News Editor

The Elections Research Center, a group of faculty and students on campus, works to study state and national elections by examining a range of topics including election administration, voting behavior and political communication tactics, according to the Elections Research Center website.

Elections Research Center project assistant Levi Bankston said the Elections Research Center affiliates come from a variety of campus departments. The goal of the center is to bring together and support researchers who study elections.

“I think understanding how elections work, who tries to influence who in campaigns, how they attempt to mobilize voters or persuade voters are fundamental in thinking about who participates in democracy more broadly,” Bankston said. “By understanding how elections happen and how they are influenced, we can understand more broadly how democracy works.”

The Elections Research Center provides funding for graduate students and works to communicate research findings. The center’s affiliates often provide election commentary for the media on state and national elections, Bankston said.

Recently, Elections Research Center director Barry Burden appeared on CBS news hour to discuss Wisconsin’s upcoming senate race between Ron Johnson and Mandela Barnes.

School of Journalism and Mass Communication professor Dhavan Shah said the Elections Research Center affiliates have different approaches to elections research, whether that be surveys, experiments, or research using more intensive computational methods.

“[The Elections Research Center] is just a space where I think we can examine at least part of a slice of what political discourse looks like nowadays, what people are saying and how they’re saying it,” Shah said.

Shah said focusing on Wisconsin elections is important because political trends in Wisconsin tend to indicate what might happen in other parts of the country. Considering Wisconsin is a swing state, it’s

a good place for political experimentation.

Wisconsin’s swing-state status is coupled with an interesting political history, according to Shah. Wisconsin is the birthplace of the Republican Party and the Progressive Movement. In fact, Wisconsin had some of the country’s first socialist mayors in a large city.

“I think [Wisconsin] is special in the sense that we’re small enough that you can come in with, you know, not a huge amount of media dollars and actually purchase a lot of advertising,” Shah said. “You can really influence the local media market. You can shape the content of talk Radio. You can, through some key influencers, really shape the online conversation.”

The Elections Research Center often does polling for major elections, the most recent of which was a set of polls on the 2020 election. The center conducted a series of four surveys through the election cycle in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Polls can also provide valuable insight into politicians’ decisions.

Bankston said politicians could use polls to determine what issues are important to their constituents as well as test different messages to determine if different wording moves voters in a certain direction.

“When campaigns do polls, they want to find out if the electorate knows who their candidate is,” Bankston said. “They want to figure out how their candidate is doing compared to their opponents and they want to try to understand the electorate.”

The 2020 Elections Research Center polls look at a lot of the same issues as campaigns, such as which candidate is in the lead and

what issues are important to voters. The polls for each election will be different because the important issues at the time of each election vary, Bankston said. In 2020, the Elections Research Center wanted to understand how many people would use certain voting methods, such as vote-bymail or early voting, as well as questions on the pandemic. While the Elections Research Center is not running a poll for the 2022 midterm elections, Bankston said he’s personally interested in seeing how many people will use direct mail voting in this election.

Over time there has been a steady increase in absentee and early voting, and in 2020 people’s use of those voting options rose dramatically. Bankston is curious about if those trends continue in future elections.

Additionally, the Elections Research Center studies factors that affect access to voting and what drives people to vote. Shah is an author of a study that looked at barriers to voting in Wisconsin’s 2018 midterm elections and who benefited from policies designed to lessen the burdens on voting.

The study found Black voters in Wisconsin estimate they spend more time getting to the polls while Wisconsin’s Hispanic voters report that they experience longer wait times once they are at the polling place. The study concluded that policies such as early voting or mail-in voting do not always end up benefiting groups who experience disadvantages while voting.

“It shows that there are barriers to voting that seem to be linked to the very communities that those people tend to vote for, and so that there’s an effort to essentially create those barriers,” Shah said.

In addition to survey and polling research, many Elections Research Center affiliates, including Shah, are authors of “Battleground: Asymmetric Communication Ecologies and the Erosion of Civil Society in Wisconsin.” Shah said the book started with over 200 interviews of people from across the state of Wisconsin.

For the book, researchers looked at “conventional discourses,” or a shared way of thinking or talking about an issue, Shah said. They compared this data with the same trends in social and news media to try and understand where these ideas were coming from.

Following the 2022 midterm elections, the Elections Research Center will convene on Dec. 12, 2022, to “discuss what happened and why” at the 2022 Election Symposium, Bankston said.

The symposium will feature speakers on issues including polling, candidate social media use and advertising on abortion issues.

Experts study polls, media, voting behaviors in Wisconsin electorate

“By understanding how elections happen and how they are influenced, we can understand more broadly how democracy works.”

- Levi Bankston

SHANE FRUCHTERMAN. THE BADGER HERALD.

The Elections Research Center researches various topics related to democracy, including voting behavior.

My Voice, My Vote

Student vote plays foundational role in decisive election

by Sophia Scolman Digital News Editor

“I felt like none of our voices were being heard and no one was getting the representation they de served, so put my hand in the ring.”

Juliana Bennett, who is studying business at the University of Wisconsin, first got involved in politics during the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, where she attended protests and eventually became an organizer. She, along with a few other UW stu dents, organized the March on Madison that Au gust.

UW’s response to the BLM movement was most ly lip service, Bennett said. She felt the need to rally students together, urging UW to enact actionable ini tiatives to make students of color like herself feel safe and welcomed on campus.

Bennett went on to join the Associated Students of Madison, which serves as student government on campus. Here, she pushed forward initiatives in cluding the vote of no confidence in the UW Police Department and raising wages for student workers.

“Then, from ASM, started getting involved in city government and realized that I was just very frustrated at that point,” Bennett said.

Bennett was elected as District 8 alderperson in April of 2021, where she sits on the Campus Area Committee, the Madison Public Library Board and the Public Safety Review Committee and more.

Despite her intense involvement in city govern ment as an elected official, Bennett hasn’t lost sight of her identity as a student at UW.

“One thing that always take on council is that I’m an activist first, but I’m also a student activist — so being a student is integral to my identity at this moment and who I am on council,” Bennett said.

Through voting and other forms of civic par ticipation, Bennett encourages UW students to engage themselves in local politics because students can play an integral role in making lasting change.

Voicing concerns to local representatives, attending ASM and city council meet ings and joining campus organizations that are dedi cated to civic engagement are all ways to participate in politics outside of vot ing, Bennett

Though some UW students — like Bennett — weave politics throughout their college experience, this isn’t the case for many. But, with a decisive mid term election on the horizon, the need for student participation in politics has never been greater.

To Vote or Not to Vote

Aminu also says that the political advertisements heOut-of-state students like Muiz Aminu have the option to vote in their home state or in Wisconsin. But, Aminu won’t be doing either. He feels his vote won’t be the deciding factor in an election, so it doesn’t matter whether he does or doesn’t vote.

Aminu also says that the political advertisements he sees on TikTok and YouTube don’t persuade him to vote. He said it feels like the ads are smear cam paigns against the opponent and lack important de tails about candidates’ campaign promises.

“There hasn’t been much to persuade me [that] this is the person that’s going to make the change that we need…” Aminu said. “You’re [politicians] spending all this money telling me what your op ponent has done bad but what have you done good? You’re giving me nothing to work with.”

Though he won’t be voting in the November election, Aminu says he spends a lot of time discuss ing politics with his parents, who immigrated from Nigeria when he was 8 years old. He also discusses politics with his friends at school.

Since none of his friends are deeply set in their ideas about politics, regular discussion helps them form their own opinions on the issues covered in the media, Aminu said.

UW student Amanda Barrett is from Illinois and said her decision not to vote is due to her lack of knowledge about the candidates running for office, and her feeling like it’s unfair to vote in a state that she doesn’t live in year round.

“I’m just not familiar with the people that are running for the midterm elections…” Barrett said.

“[And] I’m not going to live here long term. It’s not my place to decide who gets to run this place.”

Juliana Bennett has found that searching up the campaign websites of candidates can give students a good understanding of who will be representing them on either side of the political spectrum.

Barrett and Aminu both shared their thoughts on how the voting system might better appeal to young people like themselves. Barrett thinks if she had access to unbiased information about the can didates, she might be more likely to be at the polls

Aminu suggested online voting as a way to include UW students with busy college schedules.

Despite student fatigue from the onslaught of political ads, and confusion about the voting process altogether, some students at UW prioritize participa tion in local politics.

Going Above and Beyond

College Democrats Chair Kevin Jacobson said that in his experience as a UW student, civic engage ment follows him everywhere.

“I think about it when I’m going to class and when I’m going to work… Because it just impacts so much of our lives,” Jacobson said.

College Republicans Chair Joe Krantz echoed this sentiment, citing his off-campus job at the Capitol and political science courses.

Krantz uses civic engagement to make change in issues he cares deeply about. Krantz works at the Capitol where he researches tax policy and how to reduce the burden of taxes on Wisconsin residents.

“Civic engagement is on my mind 80% of the time,” Krantz said. “Obviously college and school ing is important, but am working in real-world tax policy.”

Elected officials around the U.S. recognize the importance of the student vote, too. Recently, politi cians like U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and guber natorial candidate Tim Michels have visited campus to inspire student voter turnout.

Governor Tony Evers urges students to not only vote in gubernatorial and presidential elections, but in local elections as well. Even without deciding paristan affiliation, students can access resources like student journalism to become informed and involved, which are both necessary for ensuring a sound democracy, Evers said.

“Voting is the most important part of our democ racy,” Evers said. “Being active around voting and getting people to vote — I think [that] is the most important thing.”

Wisconsin’s 2022 November midterm carries weight for citizens and students alike. From election certification to important policy changes, the out come of the Nov. 8 midterms will intrinsically affect UW students.

Important Issues for Students

On November 8, incumbent Gov. Tony Evers (D) will be facing Tim Michels (R) in the race for gov ernor. This election will decide whether Wisconsin’s government remains divided or is completely con trolled by Republicans, UW political science profes sor Kenneth Mayer said.

There are currently 21 Republican State Senate Representatives and 12 Democrat Representatives, according to the Wisconsin State Legislature website. The State Assembly is made up of 57 Republicans and 38 Democrats. Despite this, Gov. Evers beat incumbent Scott Walker (R)

by nearly a full percentage point in 2018.

“There is zero chance that Democrats will win a majority in either the State Assembly or the State Senate,” Mayer said. “One of the reasons that’s the case is that the legislature has been gerrymandered to an extraordinary degree.”

Gerrymandering works by packing the opposi tion — in this case, Democrats — into as few districts as possible, where they will win an overwhelming majority, while a large number of the remaining dis tricts will be mostly Republican, Mayer said. This will prevent a Democratic majority in the state legislature, even if the majority of Wisconsinites vote blue, Mayer said.

“It’s possible that the way that the state legislative lines have been drawn, Republicans could get 48% of the vote and have two thirds of the seats in the legislature,” Mayer said. “For Democrats to win a majority in the legislature… Democrats would prob ably have to win 60% of the vote statewide. And that’s not happening.”

A victory for Republican Tim Michels in the gu bernatorial race will mean unified Republican con trol in Wisconsin, allowing them to enact whatever policies they choose, Mayer said.

According to Krantz, Republicans are chiefly concerned about crime rates and the economy going into the midterm election.

According to a PEW research study, seven in 10 Americans think inflation is the biggest problem facing the U.S. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index found that energy costs have risen by nearly 20% and food costs have risen by 11% in the last 12 months.

“The most important issues right now are the economy and crime and for me, I’m about to gradu ate and start my adult life in the real world…” Krantz said. “So I want to be able to have some fi nancial stability, and not be drowning in inflation and having trouble paying rent, paying the bills, be ing able to save for my family.”

On the other hand, for students who lean Demo crat, one important issue to consider is the potential change in the review process for upcoming elec tions, Jacobson said.

The power of the Wisconsin Election Commis sion, a bipartisan group responsible for certifying election results, could be called into question pend ing a Republican victory in the gubernatorial race.

Tim Michels’ Blueprint to Restore Election Integ rity includes repealing all previous election guid ance from the Wisconsin Election Commission and preventing the implementation of further recom mendations.

“Going forward, we could see the State Legisla ture claim who’s victorious, not based on the actual electoral results …” Jacobson said. “And that’s a very real possibility.”

Also, Evers has appointed the vast majority of members

of the Board of Regents, which oversees decision making for the University of Wisconsin System schools. But his appointees have not yet been con firmed by the State Senate, Jacobson said. If Evers is not re-elected, these seats could be filled by Michels, which could have profound effects on UW.

A Republican-appointed Board of Regents could have the power to change protest policies, ethnic studies requirements and more broadly, how UW governs itself, Jacobson said.

Navigating the Nuances of Student Voting

Between the 2014 and 2018 midterm elections, national student voter turnout increased from 19% to 40%, according to the Institute of Democracy and Higher Education’s National Study of Learning, Vot ing and Engagement.

Wisconsin ranks highly in the nation-wide Youth Electoral Significance Index, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. The index shows where the youth vote has the highest likelihood of impacting election re sults. Wisconsin ranks fifth in the race for senator and first in the race for governor, indicating the im portance of the student vote.

At the University of Wisconsin, both student registration rates and student voting rates increased from 2014 to 2018. Voting rates reached 56% in the 2018 midterm, a 12.2% increase from 2014 and vastly surpassing the 38.5% average turnout rate for more than 1,100 U.S. colleges involved in the study. UW’s student registration rate increased slightly more than 8% between the 2014 and 2018 midterm elections, according to the NSLVE report.

It is federal law that any university or college re ceiving government funding — which is nearly all of them — must provide opportunities for students to register to vote, Wisconsin Coordinator for the Cam pusVote Project Kristen Hansen said.

CampusVote, which works closely with the Bad gerVote coalition, helps UW fulfill these require ments by breaking down barriers to registration and voting UW students face, Hansen said. They provide resources including bringing a clerk onto campus for registration, facilitating early voting and employing paid fellows to assist the BadgerVote Coalition and Morgridge Center — all of which are vetted by the lawyers at the Fair Election Center, CampusVote’s parent organization.

Despite this, national student voting turnout lags significantly behind rates for older citizens — by around 30 to 40 percentage points depending on the election, Mayer said.

In the 2018 midterm, turnout for citizens over the age of 65 was 63.8%, while turnout for voters between the ages of 18-24 was 30.1%, according to

Young people vote at a lower rate because voting is

largely a habit — and young people are inherently less familiar with the bureaucratic process of regis tering and voting, Mayer said.

Resources like MyVote and the 411 Voters Guide can be intuitive resources for first-time voters by walking them through the registration process, lo cating polling places and reviewing the ballot for their municipality, League of Women Voters Wiscon sin Executive Director Debra Cronmiller said.

“One of my most important takeaways for young er voters, maybe voters who are facing their first election… Is that voting is like many things in life — when you make the habit of doing it, you end up doing it for your

as voter IDs, and registration in ad vance is almost a necessity since polling places are so busy, Jacobson said. And, if a student wants to vote in their home mu

whole life,” Cronmiller said.

The League of Women Voters is a nationwide, nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to increasing democratic participation, according to LWV’s website. In Wisconsin and across the U.S., they work closely with high schools and colleges, since this is a critical age for forming voting habits, Cronmiller said.

For many people — but especially first-time vot ers — the acts required for registration can be daunt ing, Cronmiller said.

“These acts of registering to vote can be confus ing, or maybe you convince yourself it’s a difficult process, when in fact these things are pretty easy to accomplish with the documents you would have at your ready access…,” Cronmiller said. “It is about planning to do it, though.”

According to Jacobson, reluctance to vote among UW students comes down to voter ID laws and con venience.

Student IDs don’t count

nicipality, they must or der an absentee ballot weeks in advance.

“I think each of those creates its own unique barrier that stops a certain percentage of students from voting,” Jacobson said.

But Krantz said the main reason students are less likely to vote is because they don’t care enough about the is sues that are publicized.

Hot button issues are nearly impossible to avoid ahead of an im portant election, Krantz said. Most people are aware of the election and the policies being discussed due to the sheer volume of TV and social media advertise ments, Krantz said.

Save for extenuating circumstances on election day, the primary reason students don’t make it to the polls is because they aren’t invested enough in the issues candidates are talking about, Krantz said. Bennett compared voting to exercising — it al ways pays off in the end.

“Sometimes really don’t want to work out, but when I go do it never regret it,” Bennett said. “You’re not going to regret voting either way.”

The November midterm will decide the race for governor, state senator, senate and assembly district representatives, among other positions. UW stu dents can register to vote at Memorial Union and Union South until Nov. 4. My Vote allows Wisconsin residents to view their ballot and polling place ahead of time based on their address.

Religiously justified abortion policies blur line between church, state

by Abbey Handel Opinion Columnist

Abortion is a politically charged and divisive topic in America, and politicians have not held back from projecting their political agenda versus their personal beliefs regarding this contentious debate.

The Wisconsin gubernatorial election between Tim Michels and Tony Evers will take place Nov. 8, and the abortion debate has played a large role in both individuals’ campaigns. Both candidates have made numerous remarks about abortion access, and this election will determine whether the Wisconsin governor’s office will advocate for a women’s right to choose or continually restrict access to reproductive healthcare.

Evers has used his position to pursue equitable and safe abortion. While Evers stands by the constitutionality of Roe v. Wade, Michels has a long history of anti-abortion sentiment. Before he was the Republican nominee for governor, Michels was zealously anti-abortion, saying he was against even exceptions for rape and incest.

Since winning his primary, however, Michels, like many other Republican candidates, has significantly softened his stance on the issue. Michels has taken great measures to rebrand his abortion stance, stating that he would sign a law for exceptions for rape and incest, a clear pivot from his initial sentiment. With the election just weeks away, this change comes at an opportune time for Michels, considering 83% of Wisconsin thinks there should be an exception for rape and incest, according to Marquette Law School.

Despite his effort to dodge his previous attitudes to prevail in the polls, Michels has justified his no-exception abortion policies with religiously charged rhetoric, revealing the concerning mix of church and state that the anti-abortion rights movement bases its policy preferences on.

The framers of the Constitution stressed the importance of not having a national religion — primarily because the freedom to practice any religion is a fundamental principle of liberty. The Establishment Clause explicitly states that the government should not advance or prohibit religion — resulting in the widely accepted notion that church and state must be separated.

This separation is especially important during this politically polarized period because it is clear that the Republican Party is attempting to promote a legal agenda under divine instruction. Politics requires compromise, but people who believe they are carrying out a divine interest may be unwilling to put these beliefs aside when they are used to justify the law.

While many have tried to make a scientific

argument for life beginning at conception, opposition to abortion almost always goes back to religious beliefs. The modern anti-abortion rights movement was born as an Evangelical response to Jimmy Carter, so it undoubtedly has Christian roots.

who were a part of the nascent religious-right political movement.

Many religious individuals were upset with Carter’s lack of enthusiasm for promoting Christian ideas and his unwillingness to legislate on the basis of religion. Republicans

the separation of church and state, there would be a mass suppression of various religions in many states of America. To achieve true religious freedom in this nation, policies and laws cannot have religious justifications.

Unfortunately, millions of Americans are being forced to accept religiously-motivated abortion bans. Some states are not only trying to abolish a woman’s right to choose, but they are taking advantage of their newfound freedom to criminalize women and doctors all in the name of God.

By overturning Roe v. Wade, the conservative members of the Supreme Court have chipped away at the walls that separate church and state. Overturning this precedent has given states the leeway to act on religious convictions. With the power to regulate abortion back in the hands of the states, 13 states have banned abortion from the moment of conception — a standard rooted in religious beliefs.

Many politicians explain their anti-abortion stances with religious justifications. In a 2004 interview with WPR, Michels stated that he supported forcing a 12 year-old rape victim to give birth, rationalizing it by explaining that the child was “created by God.”

Kay Ivey, the governor of Alabama, pushed her anti-abortion agenda by stating “every life is a sacred gift from God.” Texas Governor Greg Abbot restricted abortion on a similar basis.

“Our creator endowed us with the right to life,” Abbot said.

Religious views can guide an individual’s moral compass, but they cannot act as a direct justification for laws. Lawmakers who project their religion-based rationales for banning abortion disregard countless belief systems and perpetuate a narrow and myopic interpretation of the law.

Michels, Ivey, Abbot and many others are not taking into consideration that not all Americans share the same view or belief in God’s motivations and powers. The lack of acknowledgment and respect for divergent views is troubling, and it bodes ominously for the future of women’s and marginalized communities’ rights.

Democrat Jimmy Carter was one of America’s most religious presidents, and during his campaign, he claimed that his Evangelical Christianity was an instrumental part of who he was. But he maintained a secular position throughout his term — surprising and disappointing his constituents

took advantage of this and began promoting Evangelical ideals, including the importance of life, to create a loyal base. This marked the advent of the religious right, highlighting that the anti-abortion rights movement is deeply connected to Evangelical values.

Without the federal government protecting

Laws that seek to prevent abortion before the fetus is medically viable fail to serve a secular purpose. It is important to recognize when the lines between religion and legislation become blurry because, without a clear separation, millions of people lose the right to choose for themselves.

As the roles of church and state are becoming increasingly intertwined, Americans may stand to lose even more rights guaranteed by what was intended to be a secular Constitution.

Abbey Handel (arhandel@wisc.edu) is a freshman studying journalism and political science.

Abortion is a large debate for 2022 midterm candidates, but some candidates hinge their arguments on religious rhetoric.

KATIE HARDIE.

BADGER HERALD.

cash

by Fiona Hatch Opinion Editor

As Wisconsin’s midterm elections loom, candidates on the ballot are clarifying their stances on key issues for voters across the state. One subject gaining increasing attention is the state of crime and criminal proceedings.

Crime is a common issue on the ballot for voters, particularly for Republicans who notoriously advocate for stricter punishments and raise concerns over rising crime rates. Wisconsin’s Senate race exemplifies this shift away from other issues previously at the top of mind for voters, such as concerns over inflation and abortion rights.

Now, the state’s GOP and its supporters are criticizing Democratic candidate Mandela Barnes over his proposals on the issue of crime in Wisconsin. One of the harshest attacks against Barnes centers around his opinions on cash bail.

Barnes opposes the use of cash bail in the

criminal justice system and has doubled down in recent weeks on his plans to eliminate the practice. Judges would instead release all defendants until their trial date unless there is clear evidence demonstrating the individual to be either a flight risk or a danger to others.

Cash bail is, very simply, a form of insurance to hold defendants accountable for returning to court on their trial date. A specified amount of money is set by the judge on a case-percase basis, and is held by the court until the defendant returns for their trial and a ruling is handed down.

If Barnes’ plan for Wisconsin looks anything like the bill he introduced in 2016 as a legislator, this practice would be completely eliminated from the justice system. It should be noted that judges would still be able to hold certain defendants if evidence points to them being a risk upon release.

The Wisconsin GOP’s political ads for this midterm label the proposal as dangerous, with

one specifically citing an incident in Waukesha last November. In the case, the mother of the defendant, Darrell Brooks, posted his $1000 bail days before he ran his car into the crowd watching the annual Christmas Parade.

While the specifics of this particular case remain devastating, the issue does not come down to Brooks’ low price of bail. Regardless of what price bail is set at, keeping the concept of bail as a safety precaution is simply unfounded.

In a cash bail system, the main determinant of who remains in jail and who walks free before trial is wealth, rather than risk level. This has led to skewed outcomes in terms of who serves time and who doesn’t, with no correlation to a jury’s verdict.

For those who are jailed before their trial, the impact on their life can be brutal. Being detained for any amount of time is bound to sully the reputation of any individual, regardless of whether they are found guilty or not in their case.

Even a few days in jail can result in jobs lost, housing options or lease offers evaporating and custody rights threatened. A Stanford Law Review article found that detained defendants are more than 25% more likely to plead guilty regardless of their actual innocence and receive around double the amount of jail time, on average.

Pre-jailed defendants are also more likely to commit crime at a higher rate down the line, even when controlling for other factors such as the initial bail amount, demographic information and criminal history.

Due to the inextricable link between income and race in the United States, people of color are disproportionately jailed before trial, and are thus those who feel these consequences the most.

Detaining individuals before trial is also costly on our criminal justice system. The U.S. spends around $14 billion annually to jail those awaiting trial. State and federal prisoners often use taxpayer dollars to fund these operations.

Little or no bail also does not necessarily increase the risk of dangerous criminals walking free in the weeks leading up to their trial. Even in the instance of a judge choosing to raise bail in an attempt to hold a defendant in jail until their court date, this still leaves the door open for said defendant to find the funds necessary to walk free — especially if they come from a wealthy background.

If a judge determines a defendant to be so potentially dangerous to themselves or others that they choose to raise bail exponentially in an attempt to keep them detained, Barnes’ plan to eliminate cash bail in favor of a decision made wholly on the risk-level of a defendant would meet the same end goal and do so more reliably.

Our bail system as it stands today is ineffective, unequal and costly. Cash bail does not target those most likely to commit crime before trial, but impacts people of color and lowincome defendants with stunning precision and disastrous effects. If safety is truly the primary reason for bail, then it has clearly failed as a concept.

Proposing a mere increase in the dollar amount of bail charges will not solve the problem, but instead implies that low-income defendants are inherently and systemically more dangerous to the public than the rich.

Wisconsin needs to change its strategy as it relates to pretrial detention. Perhaps it is fair to argue that Barnes must better explain the complete details of his proposal. Perhaps there is a time and place for jailing defendants before trial as a precautionary measure. However, it is exorbitantly clear that the bail system is not the answer.

Fiona Hatch (fhatch@badgerherald.com) is a sophomore studying political science and international studies.

AHMAD HAMID. THE BADGER HERALD.

Point:

by Jack Rogers Opinion Writer

Marijuana legalization in Wisconsin

In the Wisconsin gubernatorial race, there are two vastly different views on marijuana legalization. Gov. Tony Evers announced if he was reelected he would reintroduce marijuana legalization legislation while Tim Michels is opposed to the idea. Marijuana has been legalized in many states, including California, Nevada and Colorado, among others.

Should Wisconsin make efforts toward legalizing marijuana or pursue other options?

Counterpoint:

by Emily Otten Opinion Associate Editor

Gov. Evers, in his bid for re-election as governor, has promised to put recreational marijuana legalization at the top of his political agenda. His Republican opponent Tim Michels opposes such measures, claiming legalization would be a “slippery slope.”

In Wisconsin, marijuana is designated as a Schedule I substance along with heroin and fentanyl. Penalties for simple possession can be steep — including a potential $1,000 fine and six months of prison time on a first offense. In the past five years alone, 69,203 arrests have been made for marijuana possession in Wisconsin.

The effort to police the use of marijuana is too costly and racially disproportionate to justify. It is far time that Wisconsin joins its Midwestern neighbors — Michigan and Illinois — in the full legalization of recreational marijuana. Doing so would bring the state newfound tax revenue and begin to heal communities across the state impacted by marijuana criminalization.

Evers estimates Wisconsin would see an extra $165 million in annual revenue if marijuana were to become recreationally legal. According to a statement given to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Evers plans to treat marijuana much like alcohol by regulating and taxing the substance. The state would then use the tax revenue and invest in things like public schools.

In 2012, Colorado and Washington made headlines with their decisions to legalize recreational cannabis. According to the Washington State Treasurer, over the last year, Colorado and Washington have generated more than $423 million and

$559 million, respectively, in annual tax revenue from legal marijuana. With time to introduce and regulate a legal industry, Wisconsin could imagine similar figures.

Legal weed also brings revenue in the form of tourism. Colorado broke records in the number of tourists year-after-year following legalization — injecting more than $20.9 billion into the government balance. Wisconsin residents who travel out of state to buy legal cannabis will experience a reversal of migration and revenue after legalization.

Beyond the economic impacts of legal recreational marijuana, a state policy would be a move toward social justice.

According to the ACLU, Black people are 4.2 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession in Wisconsin than white people despite similar usage rates. Legal cannabis means an end to the racially disproportionate policing of the substance. Evers’ policy plan also calls for the reduction or repeal of marijuana convictions, a move supported by the ACLU of Wisconsin.

More than two-thirds of Wisconsin voters — including a majority of Republicans — are in favor of marijuana legalization in the state according to a Marquette Law School poll. Legalizing cannabis enjoys tremendous bipartisan public support in the state.

With favorable public opinion, compelling economic data and a troubling status quo, full legalization of recreational marijuana should be Wisconsin’s next step forward.

Jack Rogers (jkrogers3@wisc.edu) is a freshman studying economics and Chinese.

Wisconsin should focus first on the decriminalization of marijuana, then move on to the issue of legalization. The difference between decriminalization and legalization is that with decriminalization all criminal charges, such as prosecution, are removed while with legalization all legal issues, both criminal and civil, are fully removed.

There is a huge racial disparity when it comes to prosecution and arrests across America related to marijuana. Though both white and Black individuals use marijuana at approximately the same rate, those who are Black are four times more likely to be arrested for the drug, according to the ACLU.

These racial disparities are also present in the state of Wisconsin. In Milwaukee, Black individuals are 3.2 times more likely than white people to be arrested for possession of marijuana, according to the Milwaukee County District Attorney.

The disparities can also increase by county. According to the ACLU, Black individuals are 34.9 times more likely to be arrested in Ozaukee County and 29.9 times more likely in Manitowoc County.

Though over the past few years, convictions for marijuana possession have been in steady decline in Wisconsin, these arrests and convictions can uproot a person’s life, resulting in a lost job or removal of public benefits like food stamps.

According American Progress, the route of decriminalization on a state level can involve the retroactive expunging of marijuana from the criminal records of those who were arrested or convicted, allowing them to continue their lives without a record of drug possession hanging over their head. These decriminalization efforts also can involve treating possession or use of marijuana like a traffic violation — not wholly legal but

not damaging to a person’s life. This is the route Wisconsin should take.

Full legalization of marijuana can be expensive to those who actively use the drug, resulting in the growth of black market dealings. According to the Nevada Independent, the high taxes in states who have legalized marijuana like California have made it incredibly difficult for cannabis businesses to survive. These high taxes thus make the product more expensive so those who want to use marijuana may go through unlicensed dealers, which are unregulated by the state.

According to Politico, in California alone, 823 cannabis shops are licensed and regulated by the state government while over 3,000 ‘retailers’ are unlicensed. The revenue of those unlicensed retailers totals to double that of the regulated retailers at $8 billion a year.

Essentially, while legalization of marijuana is able to remove all legal restrictions associated with the use and possession of marijuana, there are many issues with the regulation of that type of distribution.

Dane County has already decriminalized marijuana, so marijuana possession is still illegal under Wisconsin law but officers cannot arrest or convict individuals unless other circumstances are met.

Wisconsin should follow Dane County in the decriminalization of marijuana. Wisconsin should focus on removing the criminality of marijuana to alleviate some of the racial disparities in marijuana arrests and convictions, as well as the expunging of previous criminal records, before prioritizing the complexity of marijuana legalization. Those who were hurt by the criminalization of marijuana should be aided before the rest of the public has full access to the drug.

Emily Otten (elotten@wisc.edu) is a junior majoring in journalism.

should be the priority

Political parties branding elections on select issues has negative effects

by Janani Sundar Editor-in-Chief

With midterm elections fast approaching, campaign efforts are in full swing. Each party has selected issues to place at the forefront of their campaigns with hopes of maximizing favorable voter turnout. Democrats in Wisconsin are branding the midterm elections around abortion access, and Republicans have chosen crime and public safety to be at the head of their campaign.

While abortion and public safety are crucial issues, given the current political climate, labeling elections under one specific political issue may be more nuanced than previously thought.

Political parties and candidates do not select these political issues at random. University of Wisconsin associate professor Eleanor Powell explained that parties are incredibly strategic in selecting the issues they campaign on. Each party does significant amounts of polling in advance to determine where public opinion lies and to decide what aligns well with how voters evaluate them.

Evidently, both parties’ selections of these issues utilize this strategy extremely well. A poll by Marquette University Law School revealed abortion policy was the number one concern among Democratic voters in Wisconsin. The same poll showed crime as the third-most concerning issue among Republican voters. With abortion and crime being a prime concern for Wisconsinites, selecting these issues to place at the forefront of campaign efforts is an efficient tactic.

Obviously, the goal of any politician campaigning is to encourage voters to vote for them instead of the candidate from the opposing party. But, that is not the only goal of campaigning messages, according to Powell.

A key objective of each party, and consequently, their campaign messages, is to mobilize voters to simply show up at the polls. Historically, Wisconsin has seen a lower voter turnout in midterm elections compared to presidential elections.

According to data from the Wisconsin Election Commission, 73% of voters in Wisconsin voted in the 2020 presidential election, but only 59% of Wisconsin voters voted in the midterm election in 2018. Campaigning around popular issues such as abortion policy and crime can mobilize voters to simply show up at the polls, regardless of which candidates they vote for.

Despite these strategic efforts, branding elections and campaigning efforts around

select issues can be disadvantageous to some extent. In the same Marquette University Law School poll, 68% of Wisconsin voters reported being very concerned about inflation. Similarly, 47% of voters felt very concerned about taxes.

While taxes and inflation are discussed by both parties to some degree, they are not at the forefront of their campaigns in the way abortion policy and crime have been thus far. When candidates and parties fail to heavily campaign on certain issues that some voters find important, they can end up alienating those voters. While it may not make them more likely to vote for the opposing party, it is more likely to deter them from voting at all, Powell said.

Elected officials are representatives of the people — not just for one or two issues, but for all governmental issues, from economics to climate change. People elect officials not just on the basis of them solving one problem, but on the basis of being represented in democracy for all governmental issues.

Hence, people expect elected officials to discuss several societal issues — including taxes and inflation, among others — and to provide solutions for how they will address these issues if elected. By doing so, candidates will make the people feel heard and represented.

In highlighting abortion policy and crime, the importance and nuances of several other issues are being overshadowed for voters.

One issue not being highlighted in the media is the makeup of the state legislature in Wisconsin. Currently, the Republicans are one seat short of a supermajority — ⅔ of the seats — in the State Senate and five seats short in the State Assembly. With a supermajority, Republicans can override any governor’s veto, resulting in huge consequences for the outcomes of state policies.

While the U.S. is more polarized than ever with the two-party system, having somewhat equal representation of Democrats and Republicans — not a supermajority — in the state legislature helps minimize the consequences of this polarization by allowing for more debate and deliberation on policies.

A supermajority would only impede this debate and deliberation and likely result in more, and possibly only, Republican-favored policies to be passed, regardless of the party of the governor.

While abortion is heavily debated between the two parties and at the forefront of media coverage, the future of abortion policy isn’t the only thing at stake in this

election.

The legal foundation for overturning Roe v. Wade was on the basis of the right to privacy. Several other rights that have been normalized in current American society are based on the same right to privacy, Powell said. Rights to contraception, contraception availability, right to privacy and gay marriage are all in that realm, according to Powell.

Though these rights are not explicitly on the ballot, the representatives elected by voters will control the composition of the Supreme Court in the future, and therefore

greatly impact the future policy outcomes pertaining to these issues.

Regardless of which issues Democrats and Republicans highlight in their campaign efforts, all governmental issues are on the ballot in one way or another. Wisconsin is purple, now more than ever, as the slipperiest of swing states. Several outcomes of this election will be decided by a matter of a few votes. Each individual’s vote matters in Wisconsin, now more than ever, and ultimately, it all comes down to one thing — every Wisconsinite needs to get out there and cast their ballot.

branding overshadows other key election issues, deters voter mobilization

SHANE FRUCHTERMAN. THE BADGER HERALD.

Candidate cocktails: A taste of your 2022 candidates

by Katherine Lyons ArtsEtc. Editor

Ever wondered what drink your 2022 midterm election candidates embody? Us too. Look no further than this comprehensive list of candidate cocktails.

Do your civic duty — get drunk.

Mandela Barnes

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator Mandela Barnes is easily a Mai Tai.

The drink itself can be tart or sweet, but it is also surprisingly strong. Mai Tais often gets a bad rap since they are considered a tiki drink, but who doesn’t want the promise of warmth and sunshine during dreaded Wisconsin winters?

Barnes’ promises of holding elected officials accountable to the voters, standing up against corruption and ensuring the rights of voters across this country will fuel voters to vote for him. We want to enjoy the bright, tropical flavors of a Mai Tai all year round, just like we want to feel confident in our vote, long after election day.

Ron Johnson

Johnson is pushing 70 years of age and thus is a an 18-year Single Malt Scotch. Sipped neat, it is a sharp, distinct flavor that is certainly an acquired taste. This drink is something your grandfather gives you a sip of, and you are reminded that you don’t actually enjoy alcohol. Neither does your grandfather but at least Scotch gets him drunk the quickest. Johnson has been around the block — he is currently a Senator but has also been an accountant and businessman. No one ever tells people to drink Scotch. It is something that happens when you get old. Simply put — there are a lot of better options.

Tony Evers

Here we lead into our governor candidates, starting off with Democrat Tony Evers.

Evers would be a Tom Collins — citrusy, fizzy and refreshing, with herbal notes. It is a bright drink. A perfect match for Evers and his promise to fight for a better and brighter future for all Wisconsinites. It is a grown-up version

of lemonade — no frills and nostalgic — which pairs well with Evers’ plan to bring people together around common sense solutions. The drink has also been around since 1876, fitting for Evers’ old age.

Tim Michels

As far as Republicans go, we have Tim Michels in the running for governor.

Michels represents a Bourbon Old Fashioned — but wait! This is not your typical Wisconsin Old Fashioned. This version features no cherry or oranges. Instead, it is simply bourbon, water, sugar and bitters. A fitting cocktail for Michels as his beliefs are a bit too old fashioned for us.

Michels gets no fruit in his drink because he does not enjoy the sweeter things in life. He thinks ordering this drink will make him fit in with fellow Wisconsinites, but Wisconsinites want the sweet treats.

Josh Kaul

On the ballot for Attorney General is Josh Kaul. Kaul would be a vodka soda with lime, of

course. He is experienced and respected, a safe bet. This is fitting, as Kaul is the current Attorney General and is running for re-election on the promise of prioritizing public safety.

The lime adds zest, a bonus knowing Kaul flipped the office from Republican to Democratic back in 2018 for the first time since 2007.

Eric Toney

Republican Eric Toney is running against Kaul. Toney would also be a vodka spirit, but in the form of a vodka martini with a lemon twist. Toney is straight to the point, a tough, no bullshit drink (considering it is basically just three shots of vodka.) A bit of a red flag, much like Toney’s avoidance of all questions inquiring if he would be voting for Trump in 2024.

Neil Harmon

Now for what you have all been waiting for: — Secretary of State. We have four candidates for this seat, starting off with Neil Harmon who would be Spotted Cow. It is a somewhat boring pick, but so is the position of Secretary of State. A Spotted Cow is a default option, and you can change up your drink order if this gets dull, much like Harmon switched it up from being a Republican to a Democrat and is now a Libertarian.

Doug La Follette

Doug La Follette is up next as a shot of Fernet Branca. Fernet, for those of you who do not know, is a type of amaro that tastes like herbs, roots and a whole bunch of spices. La Follette has served as Wisconsin’s Secretary of State for 44 years, and he earns this aggressive, almost black licorice tasting shot. La Follette also started Clean Wisconsin and has focused on renewable energy since the 1970s, hence the earthy herbs, roots and spices of Fernet.

Amy Loudenbeck

Running as a Republican for Secretary of State is Amy Loudenbeck, who would be a red Wando’s fish bowl. Loudenbeck is a UW alumnus. She is a Badger and a Republican, and is thus a red fish bowl from Wando’s. She packs a punch. Watch out for this one!

Shared McFarland

Finally, we have Sharyl McFarland. McFarland is running under the Green Party and earns her spot as a Green Tea Shot: sweet, bright and peachy, with that hit of whiskey to warm you up. She is a longtime advocate for social justice and human rights, focusing her work on important issues like voter suppression, racial inequalities, mass incarceration and homelessness. Much like a green tea shot, McFarland brings a sense of calmness that leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth.

Next up is Republican Senate candidate Ron Johnson.

AUDREY THIBERT. THE BADGER HERALD.

Senatorial candidate Pandela Parnes saves baby from burning house

by Phoenix Pham Banter Editor

Democratic senatorial candidate Pandela Parnes was door-knocking in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, when he noticed that the house he was knocking at had smoke pouring out of the windows.

According to multiple eyewitnesses, Parnes kicked down the door and ran inside the nowburning house. Seconds later he emerged covered in soot and holding a crying baby.

“I had never seen anything like it,” neighbor Doreah McCally said. “I just saw Pandela Parnes attempt to steal a baby.”

“It’s really no big deal,” Parnes said, who was standing by McCally as she was interviewed. “I just did what anybody would’ve — wait, did

you say I stole that baby?”

“Pandela Parnes is a baby thief,” McCally said, pulling out her phone to call Bon Bohnson. “Senator Bon Bohnson, can you hear me? Pandela is a baby thief.”

“Get a video of him, Doreah!” Bohnson said. ”This could be our big break!”

“I just saved this baby’s life,” Parnes said, showing McCally the baby, which had fallen fast asleep in his arms. “Are you being serious?”

Just then a red Ford F-150 pulled into the driveway. A man wearing a trucker hat and a woman dressed in flannel got out and calmly surveyed the burning house.

“Excuse me, sir, ma’am,” Parnes said, walking away from McCally, who was conversing with Bon Bohnson on how to spin

her video into a Parnes attack ad. “Is this your baby?”

“Oh my god! The woman screamed, running to Parnes and embracing her baby. “Jeffery, it’s that horrible Parnes man!”

“Ma’am, did you hear what I said?” Parnes said. “I just saved your baby from burning alive.”

“I know you,” the man said slowly. “You’re that fella trying to legalize crime! I’ve seen you in those YouTube ads! Hey, what were you doing in our house?!”

“It was burning down,” Parnes said, gesturing weakly at the flames consuming the modest family home. “Your baby was inside.”

“That’s trespassing, you know!” Jeffery said angrily. “I don’t know where you’re from, but in these parts trespassing is a crime!”

“I’m the lieutenant governor of Wisconsin,” Parnes said, rubbing his eyes.” I’m from the same state as you.”

“He’s a baby thief,” McCally crowed. “He was trying to steal your baby, Jeffery!”

“Did you tell Senator Bon Bohnson?” Jeffery said.

“You bet I did.”“Good. You’re through, Parnes! You might as well give up the race now, loser!”

Parnes was already walking away, his hands in the pockets of his singed pants.

“You saw that, right?” Parnes said to this reporter. “You saw me save that baby from the fire? How many more times do I have to do that before these people like me? I’ve got to call Mobama, man. How the hell did he get Wisconsin to vote for him?”

Bisconsin senator Bon Bohnson insecure about tiny benis

by A Funny Person

Someone Funny

Fictional senator Bon Bohnson from the totally fictional state of Bisconsin doesn’t believe women should have rights because he’s self-conscious about his tiny wee wee. Earlier this year, Bohnson spoke to reporters from The Badger Herald about how he came to his beliefs.

“The first and only time I ever almost had sex, the bitch I was with laughed at my wee wee,” Bohnson said. “At least I think she was laughing at my wee wee. She also might have been laughing at the skid marks on my tighty-whities. She ended up leaving and now I’m almost 70 years old, and I’m still a virgin.”

Bohnson expressed that this rejection really hurt his feelings, and sent him into a rage.

“I was furious that I wasn’t given

liberty over my body,” Bohnson said. “I decided that if women wouldn’t give me the autonomy to have sex with them, they shouldn’t have the autonomy to make decisions for themselves, either. I believe in equality. They should have to suffer the consequences of their actions, just like I do, for having a tiny wee wee.”

What Bohnson failed to consider is that if he stopped acting like a dick, women might not care as much that he barely has one. Instead, he doubled down on his beliefs, publicly stating that any Bisconsinite who doesn’t like his stance on babortion should leave the state, giving Bisconsin residents an incentive to move to other fictional states, such as Billinois and Binnesota.

In the midst of all this, Bohnson was asked why he believed in the autonomy of fetuses, but not women. His response

was just as sensible as the rest of his viewpoints.

“It’s women’s fault I don’t get laid,” Bohnson said. “Women don’t deserve respect from High Value Males like me. A fetus still has a chance of being born a man,

so until they actually come into the world, I will fight for their rights.”

In the end, if Bohnson could simply get over his Small Dick Energy, maybe women in Bisconsin could have their reproductive rights restored.

‘It’s women’s fault I don’t get laid,’ Bohnson says

Pandela Parnes was not considered a baby saver after his questionably heroic action.

AUDREY THIBERT. THE BADGER HERALD.

Bon Bohnson received a personal endorsement from former President Ronald Rump.

AUDREY THIBERT. THE BADGER HERALD.

There’s

Bon Bohnson has a tiny benis,

does his personality

AUDREY THIBERT. THE BADGER HERALD.

Daroline Drowley announces campaign for president

by Audrey Thibert Managing Editor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Daroline Drowley for President Campaign Team

Madison, Wis. — Daroline Drowley of Madison, Wis. will run for president in the November gubernatorial race for the 20232027 presidential term.

Yes, you read that correctly. Why wait until 2024? Daroline Drowley will be on the ballot for President of the United States this November. This premature initiative speaks to Drowley’s character — Drowley is a candidate who ALWAYS jumps the gun.

Drowley is so ahead of the game that she has already filed her taxes for fiscal year 2028. That’s why she is the best choice for president in the 2022 Governor’s race.

Here are Drowley’s stances on a few key issues:

Crime: Why have it?

Guns: Loud.

Gerrymandering: We need to stop Gerry’s meandering.

COVID: I prefer masks cause they hide the uglies.

Women’s suffrage: Women should not suffer.

“Maybe” is Drowley’s campaign in a word. She can’t promise anything, but she might do some stuff.

Drowley will run against incumbent Paudrey Phibert and will probably win because she has already planned out every potential scenario and there is none in which she will lose to Phibert. None.

Register to vote here and come to your designated voting location to vote for Drowley Nov. 8.

And as Daroline always says, “Why go gubernatorial when you can go presidential? I always think big picture.”

Daroline Drowley for president 2023.

She can’t promise anything, but she might do some stuff

AUDREY THIBERT. THE BADGER HERALD.

Daroline and Paudrey are rivals and it most certainly shows.

AUDREY THIBERT. THE BADGER HERALD.

Paudrey Phibert announces campaign for president

by Caroline Crowley Managing Editor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Paudrey Phibert for President Campaign Team

Madison, Wis. — Paudrey Phibert of Madison, Wis., will run for president in the November gubernatorial race for the 20232027 presidential term following Daroline Drowley’s campaign announcement.

The odd-year election is set to make history, and Phibert will do just that if elected as president. Phibert’s run is in direct response to Drowley — why allow Drowley to take over the country with a cosmarchy of intense rules when Phibert could lead the country to fun?

Phibert would like to implement a more fun atmosphere, moving beyond politics to unite the country against one person and one thing — Drowley and unfunness.

This is exactly why everyone needs to follow the rules one more time to go out and vote for Phibert Nov. 8.

Here are Phibert’s key campaign issues:

Install free vending machines with Pop Tarts and ICE water on every street corner.

Create a waterslide-only transportation system across the country.

Invest in space travel to explore Uranus.

Embed speakers that use AI to match the mood with Phibert’s curated playlists into all natural surfaces.

Legalize The Purge but only in Laser Tag form.

Announce a national word — a swear word chosen by citizens.

Unfreeze Walt Disney from his cryogenic cage.

Quietly fix every social and economic issue ever.

Paudrey’s campaign slogan is “all fun, all the time.” That’s exactly what you’ll get when you elect her president this November.

Let’s scrap the rules, laws and weird debates this year to unite for fun.

Phibert won’t just break the normal

structure of the presidency — this campaign could change the world.

Leaders across the globe can use Phibert’s presidential structure to unite in world peace and fun.

Register to vote here and come to your designated voting location to vote for Phibert Nov. 8.

Paudrey Phibert for FUNsident 2023.

Paudrey Phibert will

AUDREY THIBERT. THE BADGER HERALD.

Paudrey and Daroline shake hands in lieu of a formal presidential debate for the 2023 term.

AUDREY THIBERT. THE BADGER HERALD.