League of Women Voters Takes a Stand to Strengthen Democracy

It’s a simple pledge asking community members to take a stand and help strengthen democracy. The “Unite and Rise 8.5” campaign is calling for 8.5 million eligible voters to agree to protect and participate in efforts meant to preserve our democracy. Local leaders with the League of Women Voters from the Wisconsin Rapids area, President Brigitte Musallem and Vice President Clara Kubisiak, joined James J. Malouf, host of The Rapids Report on WFHR Radio, to talk about the initiative and why it’s so important for everyone to be involved.

---

Listen to the entire discussion here:

[podcast src="https://civicmedia.us/shows/rapids-report/2025/10/13/unite-and-rise-lwvwra-october-25"]

“The pledge really says, I want to be part of our democracy. I want to do my job for the country,” Musallem explains. “You don’t have to be a League member to participate. Just be someone who cares about making our system stronger.”

Aren’t in the Wisconsin Rapids area? You can find a League of Women Voters chapter near you here.

The “Unite and Rise 8.5” campaign will run through the 2026 midterm elections. Learn more and sign the pledge here.

Kubisiak says the League’s mission centers on voter education and empowerment. 

“Our biggest goal is to help people understand the rules, feel comfortable voting, and make good, informed decisions,” she shares. “That means encouraging people to seek information from more than one source.”

The Wisconsin Rapids League is also active in local efforts like education for young voters, creating bilingual election materials, and hosting civic engagement programs in area high schools. One recent project provided students with their own voter registration kits. It created a way to help them learn about the process firsthand and then share their experience with classmates.

Both leaders emphasize these examples are important for civic education and working across divides. 

“Being nonpartisan doesn’t mean being neutral or silent,” Musallem says. “We can’t sit back and expect democracy to take care of itself.”