Wisconsin Business Leaders Defend Election Administrator

Update (January 16, 2024) — Dane County Circuit Court Judge Ann Peacock declared Friday that she agreed with the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC), which argued that election system stability heading into the 2024 election was in the public interest. Her decision cleared Wisconsin elections chief Meagan Wolfe to remain in her role, overruling a Republican effort to oust her and name a new leader.

Leadership Now, along with Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy, supported WEC Administrator Meagan Wolfe's bid to retain her seat, submitting an amicus brief on Nov. 22. Wolfe had faced scrutiny for three years following false claims by former President Trump about his election loss and 2020 election procedures in the state, and Wisconsin legislative leaders had filed a lawsuit seeking a new WEC appointment.

Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy released the following statement featured in WisPolitics: “Ms. Wolfe’s unwavering leadership at the Wisconsin Elections Commission guarantees stability and transparency in the electoral process, creating an environment vital for business growth. This ruling ensures our top election official can keep doing the important work of administering free and fair elections. In an era where political stability shapes business decisions, this case underscores the imperative for Wisconsinites to stay actively engaged. The inseparable link between a resilient democracy and a flourishing business environment demands our collective commitment.” – John Florsheim (Leadership Now Member)

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On November 27, 2023, Leadership Now Wisconsin Chair Anoop Prakash and Member Tom Florsheim Jr. talked with Anthony DaBruzzi of Spectrum News 1 regarding an amicus brief that Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy, in collaboration with Leadership Now Project, filed in support of Elections Administrator Meagan Wolfe after state legislators attempted to remove her from office without cause. 

The brief emphasizes the need for impartial election administration and warns that Wolfe's removal could destabilize Wisconsin's democracy ahead of the 2024 election.

The legal challenge to Meagan Wolfe's position arose from a lawsuit filed in Dane County by state legislative leaders who aimed to force the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) to select a new administrator. Notably, Wolfe has held the role of state Elections Administrator since her appointment in February 2018. She received unanimous confirmation for a four-year term from the GOP-controlled Senate in May 2019. However, a State Senate vote in September to remove her was later acknowledged as symbolic and held no legal significance. 

During the interview, Prakash emphasized the importance of allowing Meagan Wolfe to continue her role. He highlighted the need for the legislature to focus on economic development and job creation rather than repeatedly investigating past elections. 

Florsheim emphasized the bipartisan nature of their efforts, uniting business leaders from both Republican and Democratic backgrounds to protect democracy against threats and attempts by the legislature to limit voter access.

"Everyone has to realize that running elections in a big state like Wisconsin is a complicated process," Florsheim said. "Here we have somebody that ran an election through a pandemic, which has a lot of challenges in itself, that did an exemplary job, and she's received accolades from both Republicans and Democrats."

Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy's actions underscore the importance of upholding democratic values, especially during crucial elections. Their bipartisan approach emphasizes that democracy's strength transcends party lines, relying on collective commitment to protect its foundations.

Watch the news segment here. 

(Spectrum News 1/Anthony DaBruzzi)

Leadership Now Members Support Democracy In Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

On April 4, Wisconsin voters cast ballots for democracy, electing Judge Janet Protasiewicz by a double-digit margin to the state’s Supreme Court in a special election that had drawn national attention as one whose outcome could “change the course of the entire country.” 

Writing in her March Democracy & Business Update on LinkedIn, Leadership Now CEO Daniella Ballou-Aares noted how the court, under its previous 4-3 majority, barred drop boxes for vote-by-mail ballots and refused to act on unfair district maps in this notoriously gerrymandered state. Wisconsin’s maps merit an F from the Princeton Gerrymandering Project and the state as a whole receives a C on Leadership Now’s Democracy Report Card, she reported. 

The importance of the April 4th election prompted Leadership Now’s Wisconsin members to take action — sending a questionnaire to the candidates asking them to confirm their commitment to democracy. Judge Protasiewicz responded and agreed to uphold future election results; her competitor Dan Kelly declined to respond to the group’s 5-question judicial letter. 

Anoop Prakash, John Floreshim, and Sachin Shivaram, Leadership Now members and leaders of Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy, made a case in an op-ed in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on the importance of the special election. They wrote:

"The stakes could not be higher. As a non-partisan group of business leaders from both political parties, we believe it is in the best interests of all Wisconsinites to elect justices who will uphold our freedoms and support the principles of democracy on which our country was founded."

The group also aired an ad explaining its rationale for endorsing Judge Protasiewicz.

The court, with Protasiewicz now on it, is expected to hear many crucial cases in the years ahead — on gerrymandering, abortion, and challenges to future presidential election results. 

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Leadership Now Project is a section 501(c)(4) social welfare organization with a mission to protect and renew American democracy. Project Democracy is a separate, affiliated political organization that supports candidates who share that mission.

Leadership Now Honoree Named PA Secretary of State & Honored by President Biden

Defenders of democracy are often unsung heroes, but every so often their deeds are so significant that they cannot go unrecognized. We were delighted to see one such hero recently receive national recognition for his commitment to protecting our democracy. This week, Former Philadelphia City Election Commissioner Al Schmidt was named Secretary of State by Pennsylvania governor-elect Josh Shapiro and honored with a Presidential Citizens Medal by President Biden.

2022 Leadership Now Award presented to Al Schmidt in May 2022

At our 2022 Annual Member Meeting in May, we presented the Leadership Now Award to Al for his commitment to election integrity which never wavered in the face of intense pressure, misinformation and threats. As a fierce defender of the electoral process, we are delighted to see him selected to champion democracy in a statewide role and recognized with the nation's second-highest civilian honor. 

Congratulations and thank you for your dedication to our democracy, Al!

Leadership Now Applauds Passage of Reforms to the Electoral Count Act

Earlier today, Congress passed bipartisan legislation to reform the Electoral Count Act (ECA) of 1887 as part of the omnibus spending package. 

Reforming the ECA is an essential step toward preventing another January 6th. It clarifies that the vice president’s role in counting electoral votes is purely ceremonial, raises the objection threshold from just one member in each chamber to 20 percent of Congress, and requires that Congress accept the lawful slates of electors for each state. Read more here.

While ECA reform is only one among multiple essential federal and state actions necessary to protect our elections and democracy from interference, the passage of this bill that attracted support from both sides of the aisle is worthy of celebration.

Leadership Now Project is proud to have joined the year-long effort to support legislation reforming the ECA. In that time, Leadership Now members engaged with numerous senators, made our support known in the press and in many on- and off-the-record convenings, and encouraged other business associations to sign on.

Passage of the ECA is a fitting end to an important year for American democracy – a meaningful step forward while also a reminder of how much remains to be done.

How to Boost Your Brand Through Civic Engagement

With voter turnout in the 2022 midterm elections at the second highest level in more than 40 years, many businesses are seizing the opportunity to engage stakeholders and tie their brand to civic engagement.

A recent Inc. Magazine article lays out four ways companies can promote their brand during an election season:

1. Provide accurate and accessible voter information.

2. Make it easier for employees to vote by giving them paid time off.

3. Focus on one issue important to the company and its stakeholders.

4. Help voters get to the polls.

Our work was highlighted in the piece: ”One of the most commonly reported barriers of getting to the polls is getting time off from work, according to a report from Leadership Now Project, an organization formed by a group of Harvard Business School graduates who seek to improve governance.”

Read the full article: https://www.inc.com/xintian-tina-wang/midterm-election-2022-campaigns-brands.html

How Did 2022 Ballot Measures Affect Democracy?

The 2022 midterm elections included voting and election ballot initiatives in several states across the country. While some measures made it easier for people to vote and introduced new electoral systems, others tightened voting laws. Many of these initiatives will directly impact each state’s overall grade on our Democracy Report Card.

Pro-democracy initiatives were on the ballot in three states:

• Michigan's Proposal 2 passed, providing free postage for absentee ballots, implementing nine days of early voting, and requiring ballot drop boxes for every 15,000 voters in a municipality. Leadership Now, local business leaders, and the Detroit Regional Chamber supported this “Promote the Vote” ballot initiative. As a result of these robust changes, Michigan may be able to take a leading overall grade in democracy, currently ranked fifth nationwide.

• In Connecticut, Question 1 passed, which will allow the state legislature to provide for early voting. Early voting will improve Connecticut's grade. 

• Nevada has cleared its first hurdle toward changing the status quo - despite opposition from both political parties. Question 3 passed, introducing open primaries and ranked choice voting (RCV). Like Alaska's new system, Nevada's traditional partisan primaries could be replaced with a ballot of all primary candidates where the top five will advance to a ranked-choice general election. The introduction of RCV has several positive effects on a state's democracy and could help raise Nevada’s current D grade in voting and B grade in electoral systems. The new voting system may increase competition between candidates, encourage cross-partisan efforts, reduce extreme messaging, and reveal the candidate with the most support across the entire electorate, not just the most passionate voters. To amend the Nevada Constitution, voters must approve Question 3 a second time in 2024.

Stricter voter-ID laws were on the ballot in two states. Arizona’s Proposition 309 is likely to fail, while Nebraska’s Initiative 432 passed. Nebraska will now require a photo ID to vote. Nebraska was previously the only Republican state without a voter-ID law. By adding a barrier to voting, Nebraska's average grade will decrease. Notably, a divided Arizona electorate overwhelmingly approved a measure curbing undisclosed spending in political races. 

Ohio passed Issue 2, which will limit voting for noncitizens. According to the measure, only US citizens registered to vote for at least 30 days are eligible to vote in state or local elections. Ohio has a C rating across the board, and this change may have a marginal impact on its grade. 

Additionally, state lawmakers in Arkansas tried to deceive voters into making the ballot initiative process harder to use. But voters rejected Amendment 2. The democracy grade for Arkansas is among the worst in the nation. 

We look forward to sharing details on how the midterm elections affected each state's Democracy Report Card in the coming weeks.

Ohio Business Leaders Urge Congress to Reform the Electoral Count Act

On November 6, Leadership Now Senior Advisor Richard Stoff co-signed an op-ed published in The Cleveland Plain Dealer along with five prominent Ohio business leaders. They urge Congress to pass much-needed reforms to the Electoral Count Act. 

“American democracy enables free markets to thrive, in which consumers and employees have a stake. It’s no coincidence that nearly all of the world’s largest companies are founded and based in democracies. 

But increasingly our elections, the very bedrock of our democracy, are under attack. An essential part of safeguarding our elections is fixing the glaring weaknesses in the rules governing our electoral and presidential transition process.”

Read the full op-ed: "Electoral Count Reform Act will strengthen our democracy and our economy: Albert B. Ratner and John E. Pepper"

Albert B. Ratner is the former co-chairman and CEO of Forest City Realty Trust in Cleveland, and John E. Pepper is the former chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati.

Joining them in authorship: 

Alex R. Fischer, former president and CEO of The Columbus Partnership. 

Richard A. Stoff, senior adviser to the Leadership Now Project and co-founder and former President and CEO of the Ohio Business Roundtable.

Michael H. Thaman, former chair and CEO of Owens Corning in Toledo. 

Thomas L. Williams, CEO of North American Properties and vice chairman and co-principal owner of the Cincinnati Reds. 

Leadership Now Files an Amicus Brief in Moore v. Harper

On October 26, Leadership Now filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case Moore v. Harper, which could give state legislatures unprecedented control over elections.

This case relies on an untenable interpretation of the Constitution's Elections Clause, referred to as the independent state legislature theory. Independent state legislature theory holds that state legislatures may regulate elections without the constraint of state constitutional provisions, state courts, or potentially a governor's veto. Learn more here. 

Leadership Now joined more than 60 groups and individuals submitting amicus briefs, including former generals, state attorneys general, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the US solicitor general herself. Our brief uniquely makes the case that independent state legislatures would create substantial risks to businesses and markets through gerrymandering and election interference. 

Oral arguments for the case start on December 7.