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More than just candidates on the ballot
When we go to the polls in November, many of us will have more than just elected offices on the ballot. Since the enactment of more stringent local levy limits in 2011, school districts and local governments have turned increasingly to the voters to approve increases in taxes and borrowing. While referendums can be a burden on the governing bodies authorizing them, the responsibility for their success ultimately is placed on the voters-at-large. Often times that simply means voters remembering to flip over the ballot to make sure they have filled it out completely. Referendums will always be placed after the elected offices.
Referendums can come in many forms. The ones we most often hear about are a school district wanting to build new facilities or a municipality needing more bonding authority or funding for a project. Lately, we have been seeing an increase in “advisory referendums.” The last few election cycles have seen municipalities or counties placing questions about legalizing marijuana statewide or enacting single-payer healthcare on the ballot. This can be a useful tool for gauging the interest of voters on particular issue. It can also be used by partisans at the local level to try to increase turnout among a certain voter base.
There are over 200 referendums on the ballot throughout Wisconsin in November. Click here to see a list of area referendums. If you’re unsure what is on your ballot, head to myvote.wi.gov to get a preview of what yours will look like!
Read the full blog post here.
Jon Turke
Vice President of Government Affairs
jturke@foxcitieschamber.com
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