MADISON – As the first initiative of a newly-formed coalition, the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Counties Association, and Wisconsin Towns Association today announced a statewide TV blitz that features Wisconsin clerks in a public education announcement, “We Trust Them,” to help restore faith in our system of voting ahead of the April 5 election.
Ellen Skerke, the Town of Neenah Clerk; Cindi Gamb, the Village of Kohler Deputy Clerk; and Lisa Riley, the Village of Cobb Clerk are featured in TV, radio, and digital advertisements that will be seen and heard across Wisconsin. Their united message is that local community members – Wisconsinites’ own neighbors and family members – are entrusted with running Wisconsin’s elections.
“This statewide campaign will help demonstrate to Wisconsinites that our election process can be trusted,” said Jerry Deschane, Executive Director, League of Wisconsin Municipalities. “The clerks, poll workers, and election officials are your trusted local community members. Wisconsinites can trust the election process, because our local clerks, poll workers, and election officials are our friends, family members, and neighbors.”
The campaign will run Monday, March 7 through the spring election on Tuesday, April 5. Ads can be seen on broadcast TV and heard on radio stations throughout the state, as well as on a wide range of digital formats.
“The local officials who conduct our elections are of the highest caliber and integrity,” said Mark O’Connell, President and CEO of the Wisconsin Counties Association. “They are responsible for ensuring the sanctity of our democracy and have performed in an exemplary manner in a very challenging environment. Our elections are fair, honest, and carried out in accordance with the law, of this Wisconsinites can be certain.”
This campaign is the first initiative of the newly-formed “Build Trust in Elections” coalition, which brings together the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Counties Association, and Wisconsin Towns Association as co-founders of this joint effort to help build Wisconsinites’ trust in elections.
“Wisconsin elections are centered at the very local level,” said Mike Koles, Executive Director, Wisconsin Towns Association. ”Almost one-third of citizens vote at town halls staffed with election workers volunteering their time to help fulfill the promise of democracy. They are the same people we see in church, we rely on to respond to emergencies, and that cheer on the local team on Friday night. Nobody can be trusted more than these local public servants.”
