MADISON, Wis. — Last week's election of Milwaukee County Judge Rebecca Dallet to the state Supreme Court means Wisconsin has the nation’s highest percentage of women on the state's highest court, at 86 percent.

Nationally, women make up about 36 percent of state supreme court justices, and only 11 such courts are majority female. In Wisconsin, Justice Dan Kelly will soon be the only man on the bench.

But Christine Lidbury, executive director of the Wisconsin Women's Council, pointed out women are not the majority in other branches of government.

"A little over one-third of the Court of Appeals is female - which is also higher than most other levels of government, other than maybe school boards,” Lidbury said. “But otherwise, it tends to be more around 19, 20, 25 percent at different levels of government."

Today, more than 3,100 women hold government offices in the Badger State, so Dallet will be continuing a longstanding tradition when she's sworn in on August 1.

Organizations like Emily's List, which focus on helping women run for office, have been tracking these numbers nationally, and reported a wave of female candidates in recent years. Many women start out by seeking local government offices, which can be harder to track because there are so many.

Lidbury said her organization does attempt to keep up with them, and Wisconsin is in line with the national trend.

"City councils and school boards, that's had a good increase,” she said. “Even village boards have popped up."

She added that women holding public office in Wisconsin are nothing new. In the early 1920s, the state passed the country's first legislation allowing women to hold the same offices as men. By 1924, more than 400 women across the state held elected or appointed offices.




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As Election Day approaches, the online outlet Signal Ohio interviewed 50 people across Cleveland and Akron to find out what is on the minds of Ohioans.

Pocketbook issues topped the list. Many expressed concerns about the rising costs of everyday necessities.

Nathaniel Jurcago, a resident of Cleveland, said the candidates have not done enough to address the financial struggles he and others face daily.

"I can't pay my bills. I can't make ends meet. Grocery prices are insane and monthly payments for bills like insurance and utilities just keep going up," Jurcago explained. "I don't think either candidate said anything about those concerns."

His frustrations are shared by many voters who feel disconnected from campaign messages and want the candidates to focus more on the economic pressures of middle-class and lower-income households. And while some have noticed more focus on jobs and inflation in the campaign speeches, many Ohioans want to hear more detailed plans, specifically about making housing and basic utilities more affordable.

Another theme resonating with voters is skepticism over the candidates' ties to large corporations.

Bronson Hall of Lakewood shared his wish for candidates with grassroots support, saying it would increase his interest in the election.

"I feel like I'd be more connected to it if both of the candidates weren't accepting money from really big corporations," Hall emphasized. "If at least one of them was, like, completely grassroots, I would be far more interested in that particular candidate and what they have to say."

A common refrain has emerged from the conversations: People are looking for leaders who feel personal and are focused on everyday struggles. Voters in Cleveland and Akron are craving campaign messages that speak to them directly.

This story was based on an article developed for Signal Ohio. This story was produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.


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Political rallies and large-scale "get out the vote" events might conjure images of a packed arena in a major city but in states like North Dakota, groups connecting with Indigenous voters are bridging key messaging with entertainment.

This week, several hundred people packed a venue at the Spirit Lake Casino in St. Michael, where they were treated to a mix of popular music from well-known regional acts like Scotti Clifford to traditional drum music. It was all part of the "Snag the Vote" tour moving through the region.

Kirstin Cavanaugh, vice chair of the group North Dakota Native Vote, said between the guitar solos and singing was a reminder to participate in the election.

"We're working on getting that information for the voters to just basically have their voices heard," Cavanaugh explained.

In the 2018 midterms, North Dakota saw a surge in voter turnout in Indian Country after the state adopted a new restrictive Voter ID law, adding to long-standing barriers for people living on reservations. Rallies back then also featured big-name entertainers. The turnout regressed in 2020, with the effects of COVID-19.

Voters are often encouraged to pay attention to local races and not devote all their time to monitoring federal elections. But Cavanaugh acknowledged they sometimes have to reverse the order when reaching out to tribal populations, reminding them the race for the White House affects them, too.

"It's just been eye-opening for people where they're starting to be like, 'OK, yes, I want to be involved, I need to be involved with this,'" Cavanaugh observed.

At this week's outreach event, organizers gathered more than 250 "pledge to vote" commitments. Cavanaugh added while their efforts are vital just before an election, North Dakota Native Vote works year-round.

In the final sprint toward Election Day, some Minnesotans might worry their absentee ballot won't arrive in time. Experts say there's no cause for panic because there are solutions.

They also highlight safeguards for keeping fraud in check. In Minnesota, ballots sent by mail must be received by Election Day or they won't be counted.

If you just put yours in the mailbox, Michelle Witte, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Minnesota, said you can check its status online. If there's real concern it won't arrive by Tuesday, she said, you can go to your local election office to sort things out.

"If something happened and it got lost or whatever," she said, "they could let you vote in person and not accept the absentee ballot."

She said the system has enough awareness to not accidentally let someone vote twice. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump continues to make false claims about voter fraud. Election analysts say it's very rare, and not enough to affect outcomes.

Witte pointed to a Minnesota case this fall in which a woman was charged with filling out her deceased mother's ballot in support of Trump as proof that these offices can quickly detect suspicious behavior and address it.

In the broader debate over election integrity, Witte said, it's important to remember that administrators have key information at their fingertips.

"The Secretary of State's Office is getting regular reports from Social Security, from DHS, from all those federal and state sources that track if people died," she said, "but also immigration and citizenship."

Witte said information sharing also works in tandem with Minnesota's new Driver's Licenses for All program, where all state residents can apply for such a license regardless of their immigration status. She stressed it will not allow an undocumented individual to vote, even if they have this form of ID.

As for ballot tracking, that online tool is featured on Minnesota's Secretary of State's website.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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