Chippewa Valley Indivisible

This November, Chippewa Valley voters will have a healthcare referendum on their ballot. This is exactly what democracy is supposed to look like — real people weighing in on real local solutions to the healthcare crisis hitting every one of us.

Getting it there took people showing up. Seven CVI members spoke in person to the City Council in support of the measure, and 40+ members backed it up through an electronic form. The City Council voted to let residents be heard.

Between now and the midterms, there will be an education campaign so voters know exactly what is at stake. This is our chance to send a message that healthcare matters — and CVI helped make it possible.

At the Eau Claire Rally and Protest, CVI put on a ‘Signs of MAGA Extremism’ March — and it didn’t stay local. Civic Media featured Eau Claire’s march in their statewide coverage, putting our message in front of readers who had never heard of us before.

Then it really took off: our video hit over 100,000 views on social media in just 28 hours. Dozens of groups from around the state reached out asking how to run their own version in their own towns. CVI created a how-to guide and shared it freely.

That is a local march becoming a statewide movement in less than 48 hours. When CVI creates something powerful, the whole state picks it up and runs with it.

The day after the August 11 primary, people in nine Wisconsin cities took to the streets with one message: We Can’t Afford MAGA Extremism. From La Crosse to Eau Claire, Milwaukee to Green Bay, communities stood together to declare that the general election fight starts now.

CVI organized the Eau Claire rally at 4 PM and the La Crosse rally at 10 AM, bringing healthcare signs, the ambulance, and the energy that has made our group a model for other chapters across the state.

The timing was deliberate: the day after the primary, stepping straight into the general election with clear eyes and a clear goal. Winning in November is the work now, and it starts with showing up together.

On August 11 — primary election day — CVI’s rapid response team patrolled polling locations across Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls. Volunteers checked that everything was running smoothly, signage was correct, and watched for any voter infringement.

It was a practice run for the general election, and the results were encouraging: voters exercised their constitutional rights without a hitch. Meanwhile, CVI’s Rule of Law group worked right up until the last minute to get out the vote, and the Conversing for Unity team spent the day out chatting with neighbors.

Rule of Law is now building GOTV efforts around state universities, colleges, and technical schools. The general election infrastructure is already being built — one polling location, one campus, one conversation at a time.