WISCONSIN – WisPolitics published an oped from former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett about why he has decided to join the Democracy Defense Project – Wisconsin (DDP-WI). As someone who has committed his life to public service, the continuous questioning of Wisconsin’s election integrity has inpired him to join the bipartisan DDP-WI to show the state’s electorate that our systems are more secure than they have been led to believe.
Read the full piece HERE and see excerpts below:
“It seems like every November we hear the same refrain about elections across the country but especially here in Wisconsin, where we’ve become a bellwether for the direction of the nation. We hear allegations of ballot dumps, widespread fraud, and conspiracies to pre-count ballots and swing elections by tens of thousands of votes overnight.
“Like many Wisconsinites, I read these headlines with concern. Not because of the claims themselves, which repeatedly fail to hold up, but because of what they reveal: a growing lack of trust in our neighbors and in the public servants who administer our elections…
“The simple truth is this: there is no mass conspiracy to overturn elections in Wisconsin. Our election systems are secure, yet for too long, too few voices have spoken up on behalf of the people who make our democracy work. Election administrators, clerks, and poll workers, many of them volunteers, are our neighbors. They show up early, stay late, follow the law, and take their responsibilities seriously. They deserve our respect, not suspicion.
“As 2026 approaches, rebuilding faith in our elections is more urgent than ever. In recent years, both parties have, at times, cast doubt on election processes when outcomes didn’t go their way. Left unchecked, that skepticism corrodes confidence and discourages participation. It is critical to push back, to reassure voters their ballots will be counted and safeguards exist to detect and prosecute fraud when it occurs.
“That is why I have joined the board of the Democracy Defense Project.”
The DDP-WI board consists of former Attorney General JB Van Hollen, former Mayor Tom Barrett, former U.S. Rep. Scott Klug and former Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate
