📝 It’s (early) voting time!

🗳️ Ready To Vote?

• The spring primary is officially held on April 2, but early in-person absentee voting has now begun in Madison. You can find a full list of early voting locations here.
• To participate, you’ll need an acceptable photo ID and registration. Voters can register or update their registration at absentee voting sites with proof of address. Wisconsin also allows for same-day voter registration, which means you can bring your documents with you to your polling place and register on Election Day. Either way, you’ll still need the right ID and proof of address.
• What’s on your ballot? In this election voters will have the opportunity to sound off on their choices for president, Dane County supervisors, judges, school board officials, and two referenda. You can see a sample ballot here. [City of Madison, Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Examiner, My Vote Wisconsin]

💊 Wisconsin Widens Access To Contraceptives

• Gov. Tony Evers signed legislation this week that will allow Wisconsin BadgerCare Plus members to get the over-the-counter contraceptive Opill with no out-of-pocket costs or doctor's prescription. The move is something Evers promised to do during his State of the State address in January.
• Opill is the first over-the-counter birth control pill approved by the Food and Drug Administration. [Wisconsin Examiner, AP]

🐝 W-I-N-N-E-R

• A Madison eighth grader took first place in the 75th annual Badger State Spelling Bee. The 13-year-old champ bested 49 other spellers, and in total, five Dane County contestants placed among the top 15. The top two contestants now advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

⬆️ Last Week’s Answers

Last week I asked you to tell me where this art can be found and y’all shared some fun — and wild — stories with me in the process. Most of you guessed correctly, so congrats to everyone who played! This art can be found nowhere other than Nattspil, the restaurant’s bathroom, specifically.

🎉 This week’s shoutout goes to the Queen of Nattspil herself, Emily S. And shoutout to Nattspil itself, which is celebrating 20 years in business on King Street this month.

⬇️ This Week’s Clues

Where is this train?

• This local landmark had fallen into disrepair before being repaired for $2.9 million in 2012.
• Service at this station ended in 1971.
• These days, the train is home to a bicycle shop, a café, and a restaurant.

New Peer Group Supports Madisonians After Prison

There’s a new peer support group for people who’ve served time in prison or jail and are now rebuilding their lives back in Madison society. It’s called Build Up and it’s run by Aaron Hicks and Frank Davis, through a partnership between The Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development and UW-Madison.

Bianca Martin talks to Aaron about why life after prison can be harder than you might think — and how to break the cycle of incarceration.