Election 101 is now in session

Good morning, class!

In case you've somehow managed to miss the barrage of political ads, leaflets, text messages, and voter registration drives, there's an election coming up.

With all of the legal challenges and legislative battles surrounding elections in Wisconsin in the past two years, the Wisconsin Elections Commission wants to help voters understand what to expect on Election Day.

Enter: Elections 101.

It's a four-part video series the commission produced that explains how elections are carried out in the state.

Each video covers a different aspect of elections, from voter security to the "nuts and bolts" of an election, like registering to vote and requesting an absentee ballot.

“This is nonpartisan, factual information about the mechanics of elections,” the agency’s nonpartisan administrator Meagan Wolfe told the Wisconsin State Journal. “It’s not meant to persuade anybody to vote in any particular manner and certainly not to vote for any particular candidate or party.”

The videos also come with full lesson plans for use in high school classrooms. But that doesn't mean you can't use them to educate yourself and your friends, too!

— Hayley

P.S. Yesterday an astute reader pointed out the link to Alfredo's adoption page didn't work. So here it is again in case you're looking to add a new floof to your family.

Madison Minutes thanks our advertising partners. Become one.

🗳 Former City Council President Syed Abbas won't seek re-election.

• The District 12 alder and former council president announced Monday on his blog that he will not seek re-election. Abbas has served on the council since 2019, and his current term expires in April 2023.
• Most recently, Abbas campaigned to represent the State Assembly's District 46 but lost the primary election.

📚 Sennett Middle School's principal has left the district.

• After only one month on the job, Sennett Middle School Principal Dr. Jeffery Copeland is no longer employed with the Madison School District.
• Officials won't provide further information on Copeland's departure, saying that it's a "personnel issue." Two former MMSD school leaders will serve as co-interim principals for the rest of the school year, Cap Times reports.
• Related: 19 MMSD schools to have new principals this fall (Cap Times)

📊 A survey shows Black employees are consistently passed over for promotions in Madison.

• A recent survey led by the African American-Jewish Friendship Group found Madison has a lot of work to do when it comes to bringing diversity and equality into the workplace.
• The group ran a year-long study examining employment trends in Madison. Researchers collected data from 178 employers and more than 75,000 employees across Dane County in four work sectors: local business, education, government, and religious organizations.
• The results showed insufficiencies across all sectors. In education specifically, the survey found the number of Black teachers is severely lacking in the county. The Madison Metropolitan School District employs the most Black teachers at roughly 3% but is still insufficient in relation to the number of Black students in the district.

🎓 The ups and downs of UW System enrollment.

• Trending up: For the first time in years, the number of new students enrolled at UW System schools has increased. New preliminary data shows the number of freshmen and first-year transfer students rose 2% from last year. But the growth isn't equal across campuses. Only three of the System's 13 universities — UW-Madison, UW-Green Bay, and UW-Superior — added more students.
• Falling down: Total enrollment across the UW System dropped 1% from fall 2021. When excluding UW-Madison, that figure is 3%. The System's two-year campuses reported an overall 9% decrease since last fall.
• Why? UW System president Jay Rothman blamed the decline on the pandemic. He credited the increase of first-year students to the System's efforts to simplify the application process. Since the pandemic began, application fees for most System schools have been waived, except for UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, and UW-Madison. Additionally, students have been able to opt out of submitting ACT scores.

⚖️ The Jan. 6 committee wants Robin Vos to testify.

• The U.S. House's committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection subpoenaed Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to answer questions about a conversation he had with former President Donald Trump in July 2022 about overturning the 2020 election results.
• Vos sued to block the subpoena, arguing it falls outside the scope of the committee's investigation and infringes on his legislative immunity from civil process.
• The deposition was supposed to take place earlier this week but has since been canceled. The lawsuit now sits with a U.S. district judge who will determine whether Vos will be forced to testify before the committee.

🍎 Your lunchtime read: Wisconsin districts seek solutions as school lunch quality comes under fire.

• Via Wisconsin Watch: "When Sadie Perez entered Indian Trail High School and Academy on a November morning, school work was not on her mind. Instead, the then-junior was focused on an upcoming speech to the Kenosha School Board. She planned to bring a pressing concern to their next meeting — bad lunches.
  
  Like the majority of schools in Wisconsin, the Kenosha Unified School District offered free meals to students during the 2021-22 academic year. But Perez and other students started to notice smaller portions, what appeared to be undercooked meat and fruit and vegetables covered with dark spots."

Advertisement 🖊️ Latest posts from Bank of Sun Prairie:

• Watch Out for These Convincing Financial Scams
• Bank of Sun Prairie opens branch in Sun Prairie West High School
• Best Ways to Save for a Home Without Even Noticing
• Want to learn more? Bank of Sun Prairie's Financial Fitness Center offers 50+ digital short courses in English and Spanish.

📅 Events: Wednesday

• Virtual panel: The Dawn of the James Webb Space Telescope Era, virtual panel
• Dinosaur Jr. at Majestic Madison
• DJ Goldiloxx at The Rigby
• Evening of Dreaming at Centro Hispano
• Grace Pettis + Rachael Kilgour at The Bur Oak
• Homelands: Historical Research and Legal Advocacy for Tribal Sovereignty over Natural Resources, virtual panel
• Verona Downtown Farmers Market at Hometown Junction Park
• Reddit Madison meet up at Garth's Brew Bar

Tomorrow

• Acoustic Happy Hour Ft. Def Sonic at Garver Feed Milll
• Brews and Q's Taproom Trivia at Karben4 Brewing
• El Mercadito at Centro Hispano
• Feral Domestic: Trilogy by Dani and Sheilah ReStack at Arts + Literature Laboratory
• Free Family Night: Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at Madison Children's Museum
• The Honey Pies at The Bur Oak
• Jim Ripp Solo at Ivory Room Piano Bar
• Jon Wayne and the Pain at High Noon Saloon
• Manhattan Chamber Players at Memorial Union
• Incredible but True at UW Cinematheque
• Purse Bingo at The Brink Lounge
• Revolver Open Mic Comedy at The Rigby
• Tommy Malone of The Subdudes with Liz Barnez at Stoughton Opera House
• Trivia Night on King Street at Madison's

📝 Miss a Minute? Check out yesterday's newsletter.

Ssssssup

Morning update: Tuesday, Sept. 27

Madison MinutesHayley Sperling

Correction: This article has been updated to reflect the fact that Syed Abbas is a former City Council president.