Elections coming

US Senator Bernie Sanders will campaign with US Senator Tammy Baldwin on Saturday, July 14 in Eau Claire at the Lismore Hotel, 333 Gibson Street. Doors open at 8:00 a.m.

If we have any hope of blocking and stopping some of the most extreme, anti-human, anti-environment, anti-future policies and judges, we must keep this US Senate seat away from Republicans. Thanks to millions and millions of Koch and other RW money, Tammy Baldwin is being bombarded daily on the air and online by those who want to keep the senate as Donald Trump's great big open door to the abyss. You can help by donating and by offering to help phone and text bank and canvass. The Dem HQ has sign up sheets and should be offering training for those who need it.


ENVIRONMENTAL VOTERS: There are many Americans who say they are very concerned about the environment but do not vote. The latest Coulee Region Sierra Club newsletter has an article about the Environmental Voters Project: "Did you know that 20.1 million registered US voters identify climate change or other environmental issues as one of their top two priorities? However, only 10.1 million of these environmentalists voted in the 2016 presidential election which was decided by just 770,000 votes," The environmental Voters Project hopes to change that equation. Sign up with them to help educate and motivate the enviro-vote.

ACLU VOTERS: The ACLU wants to make sure everyone concerned about civil and human rights - from immigrant and refugee treatment to unequal and outrageous treatment black and brown people must live with every day to eroding rights of the GLBTQ community to privacy issues and much more - get out and vote." You can join the ACLU Voters team to help GOTV for justice voters.

August 14 is primary election day in Wisconsin. We will choose candidates to run against the Walker administration in November: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, US Senator (Tammy Baldwin has no primary opponent), and down the ticket.  There are five parties represented on the ballot: Republican, Democrat, Green, Libertairan, and Constitution. You may only vote for candidates in one party (if you vote for a Dem, all your votes must be for Dems) or your vote will be invalid.

You can find out what's on your ballot (along with lots of other info - how to register, where to vote, etc) at myvote.wi.gov.

You may vote absentee in person beginning July 30. Check with your municipal clerk for hours of availability.

Lots of events are coming up to help you decide how to cast your ballot:

Gubernatorial candidates will appear in forums or "debates" on

• July 8 - at 2 p.m. at Reedsburg Area High School sponsored by Reedsburg Area Concerned Citizens
• July 12 - online on Milwaukee's Public Radio WUWM at 6 p.m. (Follow the link to submit your questions for the candidates)
• July 14 - forum hosted by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin Veterans' Caucus at 1 p.m. at the Madison Labor Temple (possibly broadcast on Wisconsin Public Radio)
• July 15 - online streaming - Wisconsins's Choice "Final Four" (McCabe, Mitchel, Roys, Vinehout) forum. Wisconsin's Choice has already had two votes to narrow their choices for possible endorsement. This is the final event. Those who register by July 12 will be allowed to vote. If one candidate receives at least 51% of the votes, the group will endorse. There is a WATCH PARTY at 6 p.m. at the Concordia Ballroom sponsored by the McCabe campaign,

In addition, Wisconsin Public Television has a resource online, Wisconsin Vote,  to provide information about voting and about specific candidates.

Gerrymandering, electoral college, machine hacking, and who knows what else have made the playing field uneven. Michael Moore recently reminded us that Republicans have won the popular vote only once in the last seven presidential elections. Don't count on a wave or flip or pendulum. Count on overwhelming voter numbers.

Now's the time to make sure you are ready to vote, make sure everyone you know is ready to vote, make sure you are doing everything you can to help candidates you want to win, make sure you are pushing back against incorrect info and against those who say what most Americans want is some kind of "fringe pie in the sky." No. It is what MOST Americans want.