Composer Stacy Garrop spends little time in the proverbial ivory tower. Some of her recent compositions have focused on contemporary topics ranging from the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (My Dearest Ruth) to the fraught balance between human beings and planet earth (Terra Nostra). But last year’s endless churn of dire headlines nearly swamped one of her newest works, The Battle for the Ballot. A 17-minute piece for narrator and orchestra, it will have its Midwest premiere at Ravinia July 10 with Marin Alsop conducting the Chicago Symphony.