Record Turnout Powers Wisconsin Ballot Victory

Earlier this month, Wisconsin grantees like the Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) mobilized record voter turnout to stop a dangerous constitutional amendment that would've limited the governor's ability to distribute federal funds to Wisconsin communities.

The Farmers Union performed extensive outreach, educating Wisconsinites about the confusingly worded ballot initiative with the potential to change the state constitution to prevent the governor from spending federal dollars without the approval of the legislature. This move would've added bureaucratic red tape and partisan delays to the distribution of essential funds. The amendment also threatened to significantly impact the availability of federal support to rural Wisconsinites in crisis situations, such as a public health emergency or natural disaster. 

On the way to generating turnout at the polls that exceeded every election in the past 60 years, WFU distributed 2,000 yard signs, boosted digital outreach, placed an op-ed in the local press, and engaged in several other voter mobilization and education tactics.

Rural organizers have been mobilizing and educating voters across Wisconsin for years, with the support of RDI. Last year and the year before, RDI grantees sprang to action in support of Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz during a consequential election where election integrity, reproductive freedoms, and representative maps were all on the line. RDI and our partners organized a webinar exploring the critical role of rural and small-town voters in Wisconsin, while also highlighting the work of specific RDI grantees like Progress North and Wisconsin Conservation Voters.

The ongoing work in Wisconsin was evident once again this month with the overwhelming rural support of the "Vote No" campaign against the proposed constitutional change. And rural Wisconsin organizers are confident in their continued power as the nation zeroes in on this important presidential swing state. Support RDI and our efforts to bolster pro-democracy work in Wisconsin.