PRESS RELEASE: RightCount Launches Wisconsin Leadership Advisory Council to Rebuild & Sustain Trust in 2024 Elections

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 5, 2024

RightCount Launches Wisconsin Leadership Advisory Council to Rebuild & Sustain Trust in 2024 Elections

Milwaukee, WI – RightCount, an organization dedicated to rebuilding trust in Wisconsin’s secure election system, today announced the launch of the organization’s Leadership Advisory Council. 

“This is something that, as a veteran, you fight for,” said Advisory Council member Jason Church. “You fight for our nation’s ability to select our leaders.” 

“Aside from serving as Fire Chief, I have volunteered as an Election Inspector for nearly a decade, working alongside fellow citizens, friends and neighbors who generously dedicate their time and talents to ensure the accuracy of elections,” said Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski. “Without leaders willing to stand up and point out just how safe our election system is, threats to our system of government grow. That’s why I am working with RightCount – to ensure that we can put out this fire and rebuild trust together from the ashes.”

RightCount’s Leadership Advisory Council in Wisconsin:

Jason Church – Veteran, former Congressional Candidate
Waukesha County

Rep. Scott Krug – Chair, Wisconsin House of Representatives Committee on Elections
Adams County

Rep. Tony Kurtz – State Representative, Veteran, Farmer
Juneau County

Chief Aaron Lipski – Milwaukee Fire Department, Election volunteer
Milwaukee County

Congressman Reid Ribble – Former U.S. Representative, 8th Congressional District
Winnebago County

Kim Pytleski – Oconto County Clerk
Oconto County

Rep. Donna Rozar – State Representative, Wisconsin House of Representatives Committee on Elections
Wood/Marathon County

Working together with The Tarrance Group, RightCount conducted research into messengers and key reforms that are most effective in restoring trust and confidence in elections. Among Republican and Republican-leaning independent voters in Wisconsin, our research found:

• Good to extremely high trust on election-related matters for public official and community leader messengers that are veterans (80%), firefighters (74%), local law enforcement (69%) and small business owners (69%).
• More than nine-in-ten (93%) are more confident in the accuracy of the election when they learn that all paper ballots are required to be stored in locked facilities to prevent tampering.
• Eighty-nine (89%) are more confident in the accuracy of the election when they learn that state officials are required to use multi-state databases to check for duplicate voter registrations in multiple states.
• Eight-six (86%) are more confident in the accuracy of the election when they learn that state officials conduct independent testing of every voter machine in the state prior to the start of in-person voting to ensure integrity.
• More than eight-in-ten (81%) are more confident in the accuracy of the election when they learn that no voting equipment is ever connected to the internet.

In addition to recruiting and organizing trusted messengers and sharing reforms that build trust in elections, RightCount will also mobilize community voices to support election officials in carrying out their sworn duties.

About RightCount Wisconsin:
RightCount is a 501(c)(3) entity that conducts research and educates fellow citizens around election integrity issues. To learn more about RightCount’s mission in Wisconsin and the steps it is taking to protect the integrity of Wisconsin’s 2024 general election, please visit www.rightcount.org/state/wisconsin.

Contact: Justin Giorgio, jg@k2andcompany.com