Built on Research

In 2016, a group of UW-Extension Educators and Local Government Center Specialists
began to investigate the lack of diversity in locally-elected offices across the state. 
This led to a deep dive on the the subject and resulted in two published studies. ​
political_ambition_why_dont_more_women_run_.pdf
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recruiting_the_next_generation_of_elected_officials.pdf
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Consider sharing these studies with your county administrator, county board members and workshop partners! 

Local Research will help you define the issue
as it relates to your county.

Understanding the demographic disparity of your local electorate will help you identify gaps and potential recruiting strategies. 
Tips for researching demographic disparity of your local electorate:
  • Befriend your County Clerk. They are the designated hub of  local elections information and will be able to provide a wealth of information on dates, process and current officials.
  • In order to see the fuller picture, look at the composition of County Boards, as well as Town Boards, City Councils, School Boards and Tribal Councils.  
  • You may need to spend time looking through ballots as often information is not recored on websites.
  • Compile data into a spreadsheet. Include data like, year elected, expiration of term, voting/non-voting seat.
  • Understand the process for getting elected. Which jurisdictions have primaries? which have caucuses?  What calendar do Tribal elections follow? 
Consider the following research questions as you dig deeper into local numbers:
  • How many candidates ran unopposed in the last election? 
  • Were there any races with insufficient candidates? 
  • Is the diversity of the county (gender, age, ethnicity) reflected in the diversity of elected officials?  
  • What is the ratio of: men to women? Native to non-native? Over 65-under 65?
  • What do rations look like in “decision making” seats? For example, in Bayfield County, we found more gender parity in municipal clerk and treasurer positions.  Despite their critical importance to functioning government, clerks/treasurers don’t get to vote. What kind of parity do you hope to achieve? Parity in "elected office" or parity in "decision-making" seats?​
  • Are there areas of the county or region that are closer to achieving demographic parity?

Pay it Forward

As you research, you will likely find that the information is not easily accessible.  Consider working with your County Administrator or County Clerk to identify ways to update the County Election website as a "one stop shop" so that all citizens can type in their address and easily find out who represents them at a local level, and the dates of  the next local election.