COMMENTARY: Souls Are Heading To The Polls in Milwaukee

By U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin

On Sunday, I had the honor of worshipping at the Tabernacle Community Baptist Church on Milwaukee’s north side, with Pastor Darius Butler and his congregation.

I’ve had the pleasure of attending services at Tabernacle in the past, and it was a joy to see so many familiar faces and to raise our voices in song together.

But I was particularly struck by the words of Minister Waynette Spain.

She said, “God’s liberation opens the door for dreams and ambitions rooted in justice to have the chance to become reality. Casting a ballot is one way to proclaim liberty to the captives and to let the oppressed go free. Let your faith liberate you.”

And I couldn’t agree with her more.

Pastor Butler’s powerful words spoke directly to the mess Washington is now, and how political rhetoric can be divisive and downright hateful. But you have the power to calm the chaos.

The best way to make your voice heard loud and clear is to vote.

And you can vote early in Milwaukee today.

As Minister Spain said, “Let us protect and further the ability of all persons to be heard in society and through their ballots.”

Part of my job as your United States Senator is to listen to your concerns. And I take that job very seriously, because everyone deserves to be heard. I heard those concerns from Pastor Butler and Minister Spain.

I’ve heard from folks at church who are concerned about protecting their health care.

I’ve heard from students who are worried about protecting our natural resources and the ability to get the skills they need to get a good-paying, family-supporting job.

And I’ve heard from small business owners and developers on Milwaukee’s north side who need more opportunities to start and grow their businesses.

I was joined by parishioners and community members after worship on Sunday to get Souls to the Polls.

And the excitement to vote was contagious.

So this fall, cast your ballot and make your voice heard for good-paying jobs, protecting our environment, good education and quality, affordable health care.

Voting only takes a few minutes, and it makes a world of difference.

So grab a friend or a family member, and head to your nearest voting location.

Today you can early vote at these locations in Milwaukee:

• Zeidler Municipal Building, 841 N. Broadway
• Midtown Center, 5700 W. Capitol Dr. (located west of Pick ‘n Save)
• Mitchell Street Library, 906 W. Historic Mitchell St.
• The Zablocki Library, 3501 W. Oklahoma Ave.
• The Center Street Library, 2727 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
• The Mill Road Library, 6431 N. 76th St.
• The UWM Peck School of the Arts in the Helene Zelazo Center, 2419 E. Kenwood Blvd., and
• MATC, 700 W. State St. (for students and faculty).

Each location is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and then Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for pre-registered voters. (There are no Sunday hours at the MATC location.)

The best part is that voting is easy— all you have to do is bring your photo ID, and you can even register to vote right at these locations too.

So let’s raise our voices together and vote this fall for a stronger Milwaukee.

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Courier.