America Amplified at Madison College – The Clarion

One would be hard pressed not to know that elections are around the corner in the United States. TV debates, billboards and yard signs are in full swing. It’s easy to feel lost in all the rhetoric.
Democracy is a system of government where power is vested in the people. The prefix dem — means people. America Amplified is a program used by dozens of radio stations in the US by journalists to expand community engagement. In short, let’s hear more people.
In partnership with americaamplified.org, Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) hosted a Madison College cafeteria table in partnership with The Clarion on Wednesday, September 18, to learn what concerns voters and potential voters most. WPR also had materials to educate students about the voting process.
The notes were filled out and posted on a bulletin board. A large sheet of paper was written and several interested parties were interviewed. Overall, the notebooks were a snapshot of voters’ issues that drive them to vote.
Climate change and the environment topped the list of concerns, one person wrote “Anything to deal with the threat of global warming.”
Abortion/Reproductive was a close second, with one person writing “Stop talking about anything else until I get my bodily autonomy back,” and another echoed that sentiment with “Be the boss of your own bodies.”
Student debt, the economy and Israel/Gaza were the next election issues on the list.
Not every voter had a problem, one student wrote: “I really don’t care what the candidates are saying, I’m much more concerned that someone is forcing them to answer the questions they’re being asked.”
While a steady stream of people participated in this event, which ran from 10am to 2pm, you didn’t miss your chance to participate. Just go to wpr.org/election2024 to share what you care about most.
There you can also find an interactive guide for candidates. The questions asked are taken from people like you!
Other locations American Amplify and Wisconsin Public Radio have or plan to visit include Milwaukee, Green Bay, Superior, LaCrosse and Wausau.
“One thing struck me[while at the tabling event] While we always hear about hot-button issues like health care and housing, I learned about other issues I didn’t know about, like a bill that will affect veterans, doula services and access to archived information on the Internet,” said Bridget Bowden, Special Projects Reporter for Wisconsin Public Radio. These topics may result in additional reporting.