Wisconsin Voters: 2026 Priorities & Youth Turnout

Wisconsin Voters: 2026 Priorities & Youth Turnout - Insight Synthesis

Objective. Understand what Wisconsin voters care about heading into 2026-housing affordability, public schools, gun violence, the open governor race-and assess whether young voters are energised to turn out and what, if anything, would mobilise them.

What matters day to day. Across questions, respondents consistently elevate “boring basics” over rhetoric. The cross‑cutting pain points are unreliable everyday infrastructure-freeze‑thaw roads and broadband-plus sticky cost pressures (groceries, utilities, insurance/escrow). As Gabrielle Booker put it, “Reliable broadband, plain and simple,” and Betty Crook tied buckling county roads to lost hours and missed care. Urban voices add security/theft stress and retail‑pay squeeze (Trenell Orta). The emotional backdrop is anxiety and burnout from “constantly patching problems” rather than seeing systemic fixes.

Governor race and governance style. With Gov. Evers not running, voters prefer steady, technocratic competence over culture‑war theater. They see the legislature and budget mechanics as the real levers, but want a governor who protects operations: roads, broadband, EMS, licensing, schools. “Give me the spreadsheet,” said Ashley Copley. Several call out oversight on utilities/insurance costs (Brandon Palafox) and rural EMS coverage (Betty Savino).

Unified control. Voters are wary of one‑party control but conditionally open if it produces measurable, local benefits fast-no late‑night riders or performative fights. They demand published timelines, KPIs, and receipts. As Gideon Hokkanen warned, a “blank check” risks sloppiness, while Trenell Orta would accept a sweep “to fix basics,” then restore friction.

Costs: housing and groceries. Most report worse or same‑to‑worse trends. Starter homes under $300k “vanish fast” to investors (Palafox), escrow rises with taxes and insurance, and “shrinkflation is clowny” at the register (Orta). Local mitigants (Aldi, co‑ops, farm stands) help, but respondents blame structural drivers: consolidation, investor buying, rate pass‑throughs.

Outside money. Out‑of‑state funding triggers a “trust tax.” Voters scrutinize donor ZIPs, percent out‑of‑state, and visible fieldwork. Trust is rebuilt by plain‑language disclosures, local endorsements, and date‑stamped deliverables (lane‑miles resurfaced, broadband maps, EMS staffing). “Show me outputs … posted and tracked,” said Palafox; Savino color‑codes donor lists.

Personas and nuances.

• Rural caregivers/retirees (e.g., Betty Savino): 24/7 EMS, clinic hours, road maintenance; want multi‑year funding and named contacts.
• Young rural professionals (Booker, Angela Baker): reliability SLAs for broadband with build maps and penalties.
• Trades/project managers (Hokkanen, Palafox): DSPS license clocks, prompt‑pay, retainage caps, predictable permits.
• Rural educators (Copley): on‑time budgets, special‑ed reimbursements, staffing support, reduced admin load.
• Young urban/first‑time voters (Orta): near‑term bill relief, transit access, affordable credentials, simpler voting logistics.
• Small‑business operators (Sonia Schaaf): insurance oversight, fee transparency to protect thin margins.

What cuts through and energises youth

Excitement-not just dutiful turnout-requires a one‑page, signed “fridge sheet” with dates, dollar lines, named contacts, and consequences if targets are missed, plus public dashboards and mailed scorecards. Quick, visible wins (Day‑90 pothole SLAs, first‑year bill relief) and enforceable remedies (“funding shifts from admin to asphalt”) convert attention to enthusiasm (Copley; Palafox).

Recommendations

• County Fridge Sheets. Mail or hand‑deliver one‑pagers per county listing road projects, broadband milestones/outage credits, EMS coverage standards, and school‑funding timelines with contacts.
• Basics Tracker. Public dashboard with 72‑hour pothole targets, 10‑year resurfacing maps, ISP build/outage data with automatic credits, and quarterly scorecards.
• Unscreened town halls. Open Q&A in community venues; post unedited transcripts within 24 hours to counter outside‑money skepticism.
• Finance sunlight. Real‑time donor mix (in‑state vs out‑of‑state), small‑dollar counts, and spend‑to‑field ratios in plain English.
• Jobsites‑First compact. Co‑design DSPS license turnaround clocks, prompt‑pay with automatic interest, and retainage caps; publish KPIs by license/permit.
• School stability pledge. On‑time budget by July 1, special‑ed reimbursement ramp, paperwork diet, and funded classroom enforcement supports.

Risks and guardrails

• Overpromising on shared levers. Use phased, if‑elected/advocacy language; commit to process KPIs (publishing data, hearings) plus near‑term deliverables under direct control.
• Data gaps for trackers. Blend public data, FOIAs, and citizen reports; launch MVP metrics, expand via MOUs.
• Culture‑war noise. Pre‑bunk with a “receipts over rhetoric” frame; route responses back to dated, measurable deliverables.
• Outside‑funding drag. Set a transparent cap; match each outside $1 with $1 in local field; grow in‑state small‑dollar share.

Next steps and measurement

1. Weeks 0–2: Stand up Fridge Sheet templates, scope the Basics Tracker MVP, launch finance sunlight page.
2. Weeks 2–4: Deliver Wave‑1 Fridge Sheets in 10 counties; publish Tracker MVP; schedule first open town halls.
3. Weeks 4–8: Add pothole SLA/outage‑credit modules; post unedited town‑hall Q&A; begin trades compact roundtables.
4. Weeks 8–12: Wave‑2 Fridge Sheets statewide; announce School Stability pilots; publish license/permit KPI baselines.

• KPIs: Fridge Sheet coverage (≥80% of target counties by Day 45), Tracker engagement (50k uniques/10k opt‑ins by Day 90), Local presence (≥30 unscreened events/≥300 on‑mic Qs in 90 days), Small‑dollar in‑state share (≥70%; ≤30% out‑of‑state total).