chevron-down Created with Sketch Beta.
July 03, 2024

ABA Task Force for American Democracy to hold listening tour event in Madison, Wisconsin

CHICAGO, July 3, 2024 –The American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy will hold the fourth in a series of listening tour events Tuesday, July 9, with a program in Madison, Wisconsin, featuring local leaders, legal scholars and defenders of democracy. The event, “Elections in the 21st Century,” will be held at the State Bar Center and will address vital election integrity issues and the need to support poll workers. The event will be livestreamed, and a recording will be available afterward. The program can be viewed here.

What:         
Elections in the 21st Century
Sponsored by the ABA Task Force for American Democracy

When:      
Tuesday, July 9, 12:30-5 p.m. CDT

Where:       
State Bar Center
5302 Eastpark Blvd.
Madison, Wisconsin

Register by emailing [email protected].

Introductory remarks will be delivered by ABA President Mary Smith and former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Charles Johnson, co-chair of the ABA Task Force for American Democracy. Johnson opens the event with a presentation, “The Threat to Democracy.” University of Wisconsin Law School Dean Daniel Tokaji will speak on federal election litigation.

Attendees will engage in discussions and expert panelists will offer insights on safeguarding our electoral process. The event is hosted by the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Democracy Task Force. Program information can be found here.

Topics for the nonpartisan panels include:

  • The voting protections in the Wisconsin Constitution and election laws in Wisconsin
  • Nuts and bolts on federal election litigation
  • Social media engagement and civil discourse and how they affect who votes
  • Election mechanics and how it works (explained by local clerks and election administrators)

The task force is committed to safeguarding the integrity of the nonpartisan administration of elections and providing support for election workers. Moving forward, the task force will:

  • Work to mobilize the legal profession to uphold its duty to support and defend the Constitution and the rule of law.
  • Ensure lawyers are educated regarding their professional obligations.
  • Leverage the legal profession to educate the public on the reasons for, and the importance of, democracy and the rule of law.

The first listening tour event was held in Atlanta Feb. 13 and can be viewed here. The second one, held in Detroit March 15, can be viewed here. The third, held in Philadelphia May 1, can be viewed here.

Listening tour events are planned for Nevada, North Carolina and Arizona. Each session will include local election officials and community leaders discussing issues they face and how public confidence in the election process can be enhanced.

All media must be credentialed and interviews will be available. To register, contact [email protected]. Media check-in will start at noo

The ABA is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.americanbar.org/news and on X (formerly Twitter) @ABANews.