Wisconsin voters play a critical role in the Presidential election. As Wisconsinites, we know right from wrong and we take that responsibility to vote in ways that can determine the future direction of this country. If we don’t stand against genocide and make clear that voters unequivocally support a stop to the bombs on Gaza, we are setting a dangerous precedent that treats the murder of over 15,000 kids as “normal.” We can demand action and a viable pro-peace option on the ballot for November 5th. By October 15th, thousands of pledges in swing states like ours can enable the tide to turn toward justice before Election Day. We plan to vote for peace, and we’re sending that message in a measurable way. However you plan to vote on election day, take the pledge here if you stand against genocide.

"Ceasefire First, Votes Next" means we won't vote for candidates who support genocide, regardless of who they are running against.

We condition our votes on a ceasefire, and an arms embargo can get us there, but the bombs have to stop one way or another. The truth is, without a ceasefire, there is no path to victory in Wisconsin. Too many voters are turned off by the horrific genocide our country has enabled. And there is no path to defeating right-wing attacks on our freedoms without stopping the weapons to a right-wing apartheid government overseas that brazenly continues its genocide of Palestinians. Votes come after actions to earn them.

As anti-war voters, we draw the line at genocide. Our elected leaders should advocate for justice, peace, safety, and dignity for all. But if we don’t make our voices heard again like we did in the April primary, pundits will continue to erase the importance of saving Palestinian lives and give candidates a free pass to ignore the genocide in Gaza. No matter where you come from or what you look like, everyone deserves to live free from oppression. We have to make our voices heard by October 23rd. After October 23rd, we will begin to see absentee ballots come in. And that’s when it’ll be up to Harris to depart from President Biden’s legacy on Gaza if he won’t stop supplying U.S. weapons for Israel’s out-of-control warfare.

We know that a majority of Wisconsinites strongly support a permanent ceasefire and want to see a stop to U.S. weapons for Israel’s unending war on the Palestinian people. As people of conscience, people of justice, and people who want peace, we need to make our voices heard in a measurable and specific way.

We have the power to save lives in Gaza, especially because of our position as voters in a battleground state. Our votes, our voices, and our visibility in Wisconsin cannot be ignored, so when you pledge “Ceasefire first,” you are joining thousands who are calling on Democrats to align with the voice and conscience of the majority of Americans.

We still have time to use our leverage, join the pledge to send a clear message that a platform of peace is the pathway to victory against right-wing attacks on our freedoms.  

No. This is a vote that treats the mass murder of Palestinian children as not normal, because a genocide can never be normal or “a lesser of two evils.” No voter is required to vote for anyone or anything — it is our leaders’ jobs to earn the votes necessary to win an election. A vote for Harris is possible only if she agrees to end the genocide and / or take measures like enacting an arms embargo on Israel as they continue to escalate a war that most Americans don’t support and which has not been approved by Congress. Some of those that pledge “ceasefire first” will consider voting for Harris over Trump because it ensures continued context federally for all of our local and state activism to be successful in divesting from the Zionist war machine.

President Biden and Vice President Kamala have failed to represent the vast majority of Americans who want an immediate and permanent ceasefire and an end to our government's unconditional funding of Israel's military. We are going to use our voice and our political power to send him a message that if he wants our votes, he has to listen to Wisconsin and drastically change course in Gaza now.

We believe that doing everything in our power to bring about a ceasefire IS the way to defeat Trump. Vice President Harris can secure a victory in November by listening to the majority of her constituents who want a permanent ceasefire. We know another Trump presidency would be disastrous for our communities. We are taking action because this genocide needs to end, and because we believe that continued support for genocide will all but guarantee a second Trump term.

Yes, we do encourage people to vote in this election, but we do not prescribe any way to vote and this campaign is not about that. We are together building a time-limited pressure campaign to uplift the lives of children being massacred in Gaza with U.S. weapons and support. Participating in this system through an outside organizing strategy that brings together the voices of those who are adamant that we need a ceasefire is a way for us to show the Harris campaign that peace is a winning strategy and that there are costs short and long term to supporting a genocide and a far-right regime abroad. The difference is that we’re building power beyond the election and affirming the thousands of voters of conscience in Wisconsin that want to push for serious change both before this election and after.

I will likely vote for Harris but I unequivocally oppose the genocide, why should I sign this pledge?

This pledge is a way to show that a policy of ceasefire—and halting the U.S. bombs fueling Israel’s violence—counts towards your vote and secures your support. It shows that you believe a pro-peace, anti-war agenda is the pathway to victory in November and thereafter. No matter how you may vote in November, you are affirming that you’re a peace voter and an anti-genocide voter and that things need to change.

We can't give up on a pro-peace agenda, and must do everything we can to make sure that agenda is on the ballot to win in November. This pledge is a way to show our power as anti-genocide voters that need to see action, now. We’re gathering pledges in Wisconsin by October 23rd because we know just a few thousand votes can make waves in Wisconsin to shift the status quo: and the status quo is a US-funded and enabled genocide, with bipartisan support.

We can stand for something better, and we don’t do anyone—except the war profiteers—any good by turning it in and giving up before the fight is over. The people of Palestine deserve a voice as the victims of extreme American-funded violence. That voice could be you. Sign the pledge today and share with friends.

What will you do with my contact information?

The contact information of all pledge signers will not be publicly shared. We will only use your contact information to share occasional updates relevant to this campaign.

Do I have to be registered as a Democrat to sign the pledge?

No. Any registered voter in WI who feels conflicted about voting for the Democratic presidential nominee due to the Biden/Harris Administration’s handling of the ongoing genocide in Gaza can take the pledge.We are your neighbors, shopkeepers, peers, teachers, fellow parents, and cheese lovers across the state. We believe in using the democratic process—and the power of our vote—to serve justice and the interests of all our communities.