Despite a desperate plea from the governor of Wisconsin, and a strong recommendation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to refrain from large public gatherings, the Wisconsin Republican Party forced the state to hold an election on Tuesday, April 7.
Republicans wanted the election to happen because it included a highly contested seat on the state Supreme Court, as well as mayoral elections in Milwaukee and other cities. The Republicans forced people to risk their health, and perhaps their lives, to exercise their right to vote.
The Wisconsin State Supreme Court ruling came so close to the election that it was impossible to organize late voting by mail and the city of Milwaukee opened only five of 180 polling stations. Republicans hoped their voter suppression strategies would turn tens of thousands of people away. Fortunately, it didn’t work. People voted and the Democratic candidate won the Supreme Court seat.
In spite of this extraordinary victory, we can’t let our guard down. Voter suppression along with gerrymandering has worked well for the Republicans for many years. Right before the Wisconsin election, President Trump said on “Fox & Friends,” “You’d never have a Republican elected in this country again” if voting were made easier.
In the 2016 presidential election, Trump won Wisconsin by 23,000 votes. In the city of Milwaukee, 93,000 registered African-Americans did not vote or were not able to vote. If half that number voted, Trump would have lost the election in that state.
The 2018 midterm elections, however, were different, and the work of the Movement Voter Project (MVP) was part of the reason. Huge voter turnouts were crucial to the Democrats taking back the House and those victories were the result of work by local grassroots organizations.
These groups are embedded in their communities, know and work on local issues, and therefore have high credibility. The Movement Voter Project raises funds to support these groups and provides them with organizing expertise. MVP supports close to 500 grassroots groups around the country. Over the last five years, MVP has raised and distributed more than $38 million to these groups, which are vetted by field organizers who are in close touch with them.
One group MVP supports is Black Leaders Organizing Communities (BLOC), a Milwaukee-based organization. In the 2018 midterm elections, this backing helped BLOC knock on over a quarter of a million doors and speak to thousands of people.
BLOC was part of the effort to get the election in Wisconsin postponed. After the election was held, BLOC Executive Director Angela Lang wrote about this effort and their plans for organizing in a letter to supporters.
“I’m sure most of you saw, Wisconsin held its election on Tuesday. The pictures and stories were heartbreaking. To know that people will likely get sick from voting in person is hard to digest … young people and Black and Brown organizations were calling on this election to be postponed for weeks.
“We are restructuring what our work looks like for the rest of the year without being in the field … I am incredibly proud of our team and how resilient they all are. Every challenge we face, they not only step up and rise to it, but do it with such passion and dedication to our community. I can no longer be surprised with how resilient our team is in the face of all of this. They truly are amazing.”
BLOC is now working on absentee voting, using new technology made possible with funds from MVP for digital outreach, and old-fashioned phone calling.
MVP understands that keeping these organizations alive and functioning in the midst of this pandemic is crucial. MVP has been able to respond rapidly and decisively and has already moved $800,000 to 60 groups to help them make the transition to digital organizing and hold onto their staff. Groups need help working through the crisis and, as soon as it’s safe, knocking on doors and registering and mobilizing voters in person again. A break in support could doom chances to take back the presidency and Senate and win down-ballot races.
The Western Massachusetts MVP Organizing group has held 50 house parties and raised well over $150,000 in the past year. We are now presenting virtual house parties and are gratified that, despite the uncertain and frightening times, people are still anxious to give to MVP and the groups it supports.
If you want to turn out new, progressive voters, empower communities to change the country over the long term, reach voters of color and youth, and win elections up and down the ballot, then please contact us at MVPWesternMass@movement.vote.
The Movement Voter Project (MVP) is the single best way for those of us who live inside the blue bubble to take back our country in 2020 (and beyond).
The writers are members of the Western Massachusetts Movement Voter Project.