Summary: This month we’re featuring two strong articles and celebrating two energizing community events.
Mike McCabe offers a clear case for fusion voting, highlighting public frustration with the two-party system and the legal path to restoring fusion in Wisconsin. A second piece by Barry Burden and Lee Drutman explores how the current two-party structure may conflict with Wisconsin’s constitution.
On November 6, United Wisconsin Co-Chair Dale Schultz and former Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz led the first Wisconsin Senior Summit in Stevens Point, where attendees set priorities for future work. We’re also sharing a teaser from the November 14 “Parties, Power, and Possibility” conference, which convened experts and community leaders for a day of cross-partisan dialogue on fusion voting.
Summary: The ongoing federal government shutdown reflects the failures of the two-party system and that a national fusion party—uniting moderate voters to support bipartisan cooperation—could help break political deadlock and promote practical governance.
United Wisconsin leaders recently spoke at two major community events—one hosted by local civic groups and another by the Madison Rotary Club—to discuss fusion voting, the ongoing legal challenge to Wisconsin’s ban, and the broader need for political reform. Audience questions focused on how fusion voting compares to ranked-choice voting, how to engage young voters, and how to bridge partisan divides—topics the speakers linked to empowering voters and promoting centrist, solutions-focused politics. Learn more or get involved at www.unitedwisconsin.org.
Summary: United Wisconsin is back with its September update, reflecting on America’s historic ability to come together for big achievements and urging Wisconsinites to take action to heal today’s political divisions. Learn more or get involved at www.unitedwisconsin.org.
- The ABA Task Force for American Democracy has released a major report recommending electoral reforms, including fusion voting, which is already the subject of litigation in Wisconsin, Kansas, and New Jersey.
- United Wisconsin co-chairs Dale Schultz and Dave Mahoney continue pushing fusion voting reform through public events, including a Constitution Day program in Belleville, a Rotary Club luncheon in Madison, and a national academic conference at UW–Madison on November 13.
- Recent media coverage and op-eds emphasize how fusion voting could reduce hyper-partisanship.
- Justice Rebecca Bradley’s decision not to seek re-election adds new dynamics to Wisconsin’s political landscape.
- Historian Heather Cox Richardson praised Wisconsin’s democratic reform efforts, calling it a lesson for the nation.
Summary: United Wisconsin co-chairs Dale Schultz and Dave Mahoney share updates on their growing movement to re-legalize fusion voting in the state. Their efforts are gaining national attention, with a recent Newsweek op-ed by Bill Kristol and Tom Rogers highlighting fusion voting’s potential to reduce polarization and empower moderate voices. The group’s lawsuit aims to restore this once-common practice, giving voters more choice and influence while encouraging political collaboration. Upcoming public events in La Crosse and New Glarus, plus parallel efforts in New Jersey, underscore growing momentum across states. Learn more, get involved, and help spread the word at www.unitedwisconsin.org.
Summary: In their first monthly update, United Wisconsin Co-Chairs Dale Schultz and Dave Mahoney thank supporters and share encouraging momentum behind their push to re-legalize fusion voting in Wisconsin. They report a strong, positive response from voters eager for less divisive politics and more meaningful choices at the ballot box. The team is actively engaging communities, including a keynote at Milwaukee’s Rotary Club, and invites groups across the state to get involved.
Their recent lawsuit has garnered statewide and national attention, with support from civic leaders and nonpartisan organizations. Meanwhile, similar efforts are underway in New Jersey and Kansas, pointing to growing national momentum for fusion voting.
The message is clear: the current two-party system is failing. United Wisconsin is working to flip the switch and shine a light on better solutions for democracy. Learn more or get involved at www.unitedwisconsin.org.