Pillars of the Community initiative, led by former Bush and Obama legal counsels, places full-page ads in newspapers across the state in effort to increase trust in elections.

Madison – With just days to go before the November 5th presidential election, over 30 community leaders from across Wisconsin lent their name to a statement expressing confidence in the integrity of the state’s election system.  The diverse signatories include community activists, faith leaders, law enforcement officials, veteran advocates, business leaders and educators. 

The statement, which was published in full-page ads in newspapers across Wisconsin on Tuesday, October 22, begins, “As Election Day approaches, we, Pillars of the Community in Wisconsin, are united in expressing our confidence in the integrity of our state’s election system. In recent months, we reviewed policies and the work of local election officials to gain a better understanding of Wisconsin’s election safeguards and processes. We have seen firsthand the robust measures in place to ensure the accuracy, transparency, and security of our elections.”

The signers have been involved in the bipartisan Pillars of the Community initiative which is led Ben Ginsberg, former counsel to George W. Bush and Mitt Romney, and Bob Bauer, former White House Counsel for Barack Obama.

The initiative, which has been active in Wisconsin and four other states, brings together politically diverse community leaders to engage with election officials and outside experts to evaluate the accuracy and integrity of election processes.  The group has held in-person and virtual meetings with Wisconsin election officials and other outside experts answering questions from the community leaders that have been involved.  Through these conversations, community leaders gain a firsthand understanding of election safeguards and share their insights with the public, fostering transparency and reinforcing confidence in the democratic process.

Ginsberg and Bauer were also in Wisconsin earlier this week speaking at a Wisconsin Technology Council about the Pillars of the Community effort.  The event was streamed by Wisconsin Eye and be viewed here

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