LWVDC Outstanding Voter Service Award

The League of Women Voters of Dane County has named Tana Elias, Director of the Madison Public Library (MPL), as the recipient of its 2025 Outstanding Voter Service Award.

The League is presenting this award to Tana to honor the Madison Public Library’s exemplary service to the voters of our community. For two weeks before every election, the city’s libraries host in-person absentee voting for Madison citizens, which involves significant adjustments to library workspaces and procedures. For example, during in-person absentee voting for the November 2024 election, which produced record turnout, many of the libraries went above and beyond by staying open past their regular business hours to accommodate voters in line at the close of voting. Staff were unfailingly cooperative and courteous despite the unexpected disruption to their normal operations.

In addition, as part of its ongoing year-round mission, the MPL helps eligible city residents register to vote. Library staff are trained in registration procedures and assist residents who are new to Madison or have changed their local address to complete the process. The MPL also provides voting information to all patrons by including LWVDC bookmarks in all welcome packets and making available flyers that explain voting procedures from the Madison City Clerk’s Office. And before each election MPL provides voters with access to nonpartisan candidate information by making available the League’s Candidates’ Answers publication.

None of this happens without a strong leader committed to civic engagement. Tana has 30 years of experience in various roles at Madison Public Library, where she has led rebranding and strategic planning efforts, managed staff and community engagement initiatives, and implemented innovative services and programs. She holds a Masters in Library and Information Science from UW-Madison, and is an active member of several professional associations and serves on a non-profit board in the community.

LWVDC is delighted to recognize Tana and the entire Madison Public Library system for their service to our community, especially the voting public. We are grateful not only to Elias for her leadership and collaboration, but also to all of the creative, dedicated, knowledgeable staff who work with her in libraries throughout the city.

As Co-Curricular Programs Manager at the University of Wisconsin Morgridge Center for Public Service, Fosco plays a key part in fostering civic engagement among students. She serves as the Co-Chair of the BadgersVote coalition, working closely with student interns to promote campus voter participation.

Additionally, Fosco collaborates with various campus, community, and national organizations to ensure that UW-Madison students have access to the tools and resources needed to engage fully in the electoral process. Her dedication to empowering young people to become active citizens underscores her commitment to creating a more informed and participatory society.

As student program advisor at Madison College. Brianna has worked closely with LWV Dane County since 2019 to encourage student civic engagement, voter registration, and voting.

Brianna has been an exceptional partner with the League. She has reached out to us well in advance of significant dates such as National Voter Registration Day or election dates to work out arrangements for voter outreach. She has reserved tables in high-traffic areas at Madison College and made sure our volunteers knew where to park and where to set up. She recruited student interns to work with us at the outreach events.

Brianna worked with the IT Department at Madison College to ensure that student names and addresses were on one screen, with a Madison College identifier, so the screen could be used as Proof of Residence for voter registration. And when the student information screens for the MyMadisonCollege portal changed, she went back to the IT Department and worked with them again to get the required elements back on one screen.

Brianna ensured that the League’s information about the issues facing the Wisconsin Supreme Court was available to Madison College students so they understood the importance of the April 4 court election.

To honor her exemplary service to the community: by promoting enthusiasm for civic engagement among Girl Scout Junior Troop 1477 and Daisy Troop 1952, by organizing a voter outreach activity to inform 500 apartment residents about voter registration and early voting, and by producing a video about the project that informs and inspires others. Click on the photo or use this link to watch the video.

To honor his exemplary service to the community: for leadership and support with voter registration initiatives at James Madison Memorial High School, for promotion of student enthusiasm for active participation in the election process, and for participation in the Harvard Case Method Project and for sharing his expertise with the League members and the community.

Exemplary service to the community by organizing communications to Epic employees about voter registration and voting that enabled them to register to vote online and find their polling places, in helping to organize on-site voter outreach events at Epic by the League of Women Voters that resulted in 188 voter registrations in 2018, and in graciously hosting volunteers by arranging for campus guides, free lunches, and attendance at an employee lecture program.

For two years of organizing voter registration events at Middleton High School while a student there.

[Awarded in November 2016 as Ptacek was not available in January 1017.]

To honor her exemplary service to the community in organizing nine different voter outreach events to register voters.

Administrator, Elections Division, GAB (Government Accountability Award), to honor his exemplary services to the citizens of Wisconsin in leading his division in its administration of Wisconsin’s elections in a professional, non-partisan manner; by ensuring that the Elections Division staff provides timely, helpful, and accurate information to municipal and county clerks to assist them in conducting elections; in maintaining exceptional service to the state’s voters throughout an extremely challenging period of multiple special elections and heightened scrutiny of all policy decisions.

Chris Kane, Director of Client Services, accepted the award on behalf of St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, which was honored for allowing the League to conduct voter registration and voter education outreach to clients of the pantry.

Exemplary service to the in writing a clear, usable pamphlet explaining complex new voter registration proof of residence requirements to help Dane County Special Registration Deputies register voters; in organizing voter registration drives for the Dane County League at events for under-represented populations, such as Triangle Ethnic Fest and Fresh Start; in producing an attractive, flexible sign for League and other volunteers to use when registering voters and doing outreach about the Affordable Care Act at the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry.

City of Madison Clerk, for voter-service leadership: assisting citizens of Dane County respond to changes in the Wisconsin voting law; creating documents explaining the changes in Wisconsin’s voting law; offering Special Registration Deputy training sessions, accepted in many municipalities; initiating a Voter Education Ambassador program to station knowledgeable volunteers at food pantries and other local venues to answer questions and to assist with the voter registration of underrepresented citizens.

Ellen Lund, high school student, for work in voter service and civic affairs

Keaton Walkowski, high school student, for work in voter service and civic affairs

Rebecca Parish, MATC faculty, for registering voters and coordinating efforts at MATC

MATC students, for organizing and conducting a voter registration drive at MATC in September 2008, registering nearly 100 students.

Edgewood High School students, for active participation in the local political arena.

MATC student, for organizing and conducting a voter registration drive at MATC in the fall of 2006, registering over 250 students.

Matt Buechner, Marcus Parton, Adriana Rankin, and Amanda Rezutek, Middleton High School students, for organizing and conducting the Village of Cross Plains Candidates’ Forum.