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Voter’s guide out for Wisconsin women

State elections this year will have a particularly significant effect on Wisconsin women, according to leaders of women's organizations around the state.

In anticipation of the Nov. 7 general election, the Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health released a "voter's guide" Wednesday, designed to help voters determine where candidates stand on issues affecting women's health.

"In the last [legislative] session and in prior sessions, issues had to do with family planning, access to emergency contraception for rape victims, sex education and health-care reform," WAWH Director Sara Finger said. "The voter guide includes seven sample questions that could be posed to any state candidate voting on these legislative issues next session."

According to Finger, WAWH is seeking to increase awareness of women's health issues for all voters, but especially for voters ages 18-24, who historically vote in lesser numbers.

While 2006 marks the first time WAWH has developed a voter's guide, other women's organizations have been involved in voter awareness campaigns for years and have joined in planning election events for this coming election.

WAWH will co-sponsor a political forum with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Women in Higher Education group, League of Women Voters members and the American Association of University Women. The forum, set for Oct. 23 at UW-Eau Claire, is being designed to include debates between candidates from all four of the state Legislature races in the Eau Claire districts.

"We are surprised we haven't heard back from a number of the candidates," said Lois Helland, local level communications chair for the AAUW. "We assume they want their constituents to know where they stand on the issues so that we have educated voters."

In addition, Helland said the forum will expose the stance of the ultimate winner, who will be representing the constituents whether they personally voted for the candidate or not.

Finger agreed with Helland and also stressed the nonpartisan aspect of their election efforts.

"The voter guide is an educational effort, not to influence elections," Finger said. "Voters should know where their candidates stand before they become elected and are making decisions on their behalf."

UW-Eau Claire does not stand alone in its public awareness efforts. There is also a presence on the University of Wisconsin campus involving women's issues in the upcoming election.

The Campus Women's Center, a student support and empowerment organization for women, is certified to register voters and has members involved in the student-geared Vote 2006 campaign.

"As a campus organization, we are not allowed to endorse any candidate specifically," said Catherine Degen, outreach coordinator for the CWC. "But we do rally support around certain issues like access to birth control, safe and legal abortion and child care."

According to Jay Heck, executive director of the political watchdog group Common Cause in Wisconsin, voter questionnaires like the WAWH voter guide are a common phenomenon and are important for holding candidates and elected officials accountable.

"Most of the information Americans get on candidates and voting is in 30-60 second television ads that are mostly negative," he said. "So anytime there are organizations sending out detailed information on candidates and the issues, it's a good thing."