Some Things to do During September to Keep Hope Alive!
By any measure, 2025 has been one of the most unsettling and uncertain years any of us has had to endure in recent memory, if not in our lifetime. From the chaotic, destructive and downright cruel way Donald Trump has conducted himself in the White House since he was swept back into power — filled with rage, retribution and revenge — we have been subjected to some of the most frightening and uncertain days, weeks and months in American history. Many millions of people have been hurt, ruined, terrorized and deported. The misery Trump has caused and is still causing is incalculable. It will take many years and herculean effort to repair the damage that has been wrought on our nation and the world by Trump and his subservient allies in Wisconsin and all over the country.
We have so much we need to do to stem the tide and reverse course. While the job ahead of us is daunting, it is not insurmountable.
Here in Wisconsin, so many of you have fought back against this unprecedented assault on our freedom and sense of decency. Beginning this past Winter, when we stood up against the power and treasure of the richest person in the world — the tyrant and bully Elon Musk — who swept into our state to buy, with more than $30 million, a pivotal seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in order to benefit himself personally and to swing our court far to the right in support of the MAGA agenda and to bend to Trump’s will. Musk’s millions and his candidate were swamped by the votes of the people — more than ten percentage points — and the Tesla billionaire was “driven” out of Wisconsin by us and then out of Washington DC as well.
Earlier this Summer, when Trump’s allies in the Wisconsin Legislature passed hyper partisan legislation to impose a modern-day poll tax on some Wisconsin voters who have long had the right to vote restored after serving their time and paying back their debt to society for a felony conviction – more than 800 of you rose up and joined CCWI in urging Gov. Tony Evers to veto that misguided legislation which Evers did, and we dodged yet another attempt to make voting more difficult in Wisconsin.
What this demonstrates is that the best way to defend against these sustained assaults on our democracy and decency is to fight back and take action! By getting involved and actively participating in our civic life, Wisconsinites can and have made a big difference. And, because we are the most closely contested, most evenly divided “swing” state in the nation — and will continue to be so during the upcoming 2026 mid-term election and the 2028 presidential election — the result is that when Wisconsinites get involved and participate, it makes a huge difference. We can affect the outcome of how so many things end up in the Badger state and therefore in the nation.
Your active participation in our politics and vote at the ballot box can literally mean the difference between victory and defeat!
So here are a few things that you can consider getting actively involved in during this month of September to make a difference in your community, your state and in the nation:
Fair Maps Community Hearings – ONLINE WEBINAR
Join Common Cause Wisconsin (CCWI) and Fair Maps Coalition (FMC) partners for a virtual town hall on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, beginning at 6:00 PM. The event is free, but you must register to attend the online webinar.
While Wisconsin currently has fair state legislative district voting maps, these are only in place until the 2030 Census when the U.S. and Wisconsin constitutions both require the voting district maps be redrawn. To prevent gerrymandering by either party and to prevent legislators from carving out districts that help them retain their seat, the people of Wisconsin need to advocate for LEGISLATION to ensure FAIR VOTING MAPS for FUTURE GENERATIONS.
Join CCWI Chair Penny Bernard Schaber and other expert activists and learn about the process and the advocacy for achieving sustainable fair state legislative and congressional district voting maps! Bring your questions, comments, and your friends. Learn more and register today!
Disability Voting Rights Celebration Week – ONLINE WEBINAR
Join the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition in this national effort to make sure disabled voters are registered, ready to vote, know their rights, and have access to the ballot by joining the ‘Know Your Voting Rights’ Webinar on Tuesday, September 9, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. The excellent panel will discuss voting rights from different perspectives, including a clerk, a poll worker, a voter with a disability, and an expert on guardianship. Learn more and register for the online webinar here.
Wisconsin Voting Equipment Review Panel and Public Voting Equipment Demonstration – ONLINE or IN PERSON
The Wisconsin Elections Commission will hold meetings on September 11th about the voting equipment used in Wisconsin’s elections. See for yourself how the machines operate and learn about how they aid in our elections. The Public Demonstration of Voting Equipment is an opportunity for members of the public to observe how the system operates. Members of the public may attend virtually or in-person. Learn more and join the meeting!
People’s Promise Campaign – ONLINE ACTION
The Trump Administration’s attacks on Medicare, Social Security, and civil rights won’t stop unless we stop them. The current U.S. budget debt ceiling fight is our chance to demand measures to establish a livable economy, a government for the people, and equal protection for all. Every call we make, every event we attend, and every story we tell helps to build the pressure we need to force change and prevail in this struggle.
The People’s Promise Campaign is our vision – not just for what democracy should be, but how we can build it together, and sooner rather than later.
We’re calling on our elected leaders to honor the power entrusted to them by the people – and to help deliver an America with:
- An economy that works for everyone. Where workers earn a livable wage, can unionize, and can afford essentials like healthcare, housing, and childcare.
- A government that serves the people. Where the wealthiest pay their fair share, public schools are fully funded, and no one falls through the cracks.
- Equal rights and opportunity for all. Where votes are protected, voices are heard, and no one’s freedom can be denied without due process.
You can take action in support of The People’s Promise by going to the People’s Promise webpage. Here you can find easy to use tools to write letters to your local newspapers and representatives, as well as other actions and information.
The People’s Promise is a long-term commitment to build a better democracy from the ground up – powered by people like you.
That’s all for now — four specific actions in September you can participate in. Choose one or get involved in more than one! I guarantee you that you will feel better for having done so. Because the very best antidote for despair is to take action to create hope and with hope can come change. It may sound like a cliche, but it is also very true. And it works as we have demonstrated right here in Wisconsin during this year. Let’s keep it going.
Forward!
Jay Heck, Executive Director
