Democracy Academy Off to a Great Start in 2024

While many eyes are focused on the 2024 presidential election cycle, Voters Ed Fund recognizes that in order for our democracy to be truly representative, communities across Michigan need to participate in every election, at every level.

That is why the Voters Ed Fund launched the Democracy Academy workshop series –  to ensure that voters can develop civic engagement skills that they can use beyond 2024.

On March 20th, Voters Ed Fund held the first of six virtual Democracy Academy workshops scheduled for this year. The focus of this inaugural workshop was Your Community Your Government–-Making the Case for Getting out the Vote in Local Elections. 

Like our in-person workshop series in 2023, this first workshop was designed to inform attendees about the widespread issue of low voter turnout in municipal elections compared to midterm and presidential elections. Attendees also explored various tactics to increase local voter turnout in their communities, from relational organizing to leveraging Michigan’s new voting laws such as early voting, and discussed long-term solutions such as moving municipal elections to the even years via a local ballot initiative to increase turnout.

Our first workshop received 51 attendees, more than half the number of total attendees during our entire 2023 in-person workshop series. However, like last year, attendees left wanting to develop additional skills to politically engage their communities. That’s why our remaining five workshops will build on the knowledge and skills of the first Democracy Academy session.

Our next workshop will focus on recent changes to Michigan’s voting laws, including those mandated by Proposal 22-2. You can sign up for our April 16th workshop or any of our following workshops below:

Interested in learning more about Democracy Academy or our other education fund programs? Want to get involved in developing or presenting one of these workshops? Reach out to Education Programs Manager Alyson Grigsby at alyson@votersnotpoliticians.com.

Democracy Academy teaches residents how to boost local political participation

Voters Not Politicians Education Fund (Voters Ed Fund) is relaunching Democracy Academy for its second year of empowering local residents to promote voting and civic participation in their communities! The first 2024 Democracy Academy workshop will be hosted virtually on Wednesday, March 20 at 6 p.m. The topic will be “Your Community Your Government: Making the Case for Getting out the Vote in Local Elections.”

In 2023, Voters Ed Fund launched Democracy Academy, a series of in-person workshops to combat low voter turnout in municipal elections statewide and expand local civic engagement. These workshops were targeted towards those who are starting their civic activism journey and looking to help their communities become more civically active in their local governments.

In its second year, Democracy Academy will introduce additional modules so that voters can take their civic activism to the next level. Attendees will learn about how the current election system encourages low turnout and the consequences of low voter participation on local government. Participants will also be provided with tools and techniques on how to engage neighbors in the political process.

“Every election matters, and local elections especially have an outsized impact on most folks’ day-to-day lives,” said Alyson Grigsby, Voters Ed Fund Education Programs Manager.

Grigsby added: “Unfortunately, many voters aren’t aware of how consequential these local elections can be. And since many local elections in Michigan happen at irregular times, odd number years or outside of November, a majority of voters are missing out on this opportunity to make their voices heard. Making the Case for Local Elections is geared towards folks who are already civically engaged to connect with their friends, family, and community, and help them see the value and importance of these local elections.”

This story was originally published by Flint Courier News. Read more here: https://theflintcouriernews.com/democracy-academy-teaches-residents-how-to-boost-local-political-participation/

Democracy Academy Ready to Reach a New Audience

Voters Not Politicians Education Fund’s voter education programs are in full swing preparing voters for the presidential elections and all of Michigan’s new voting options. However, just because it’s a presidential election year doesn’t mean that we’re abandoning our local- and state-level voter education. 

In 2023, Voters Ed Fund launched Democracy Academy, a series of in-person workshops to combat low voter turnout in municipal elections statewide and expand local civic engagement. We targeted these workshops to those who are starting their civic activism journey and looking to help their communities become more civically active in their local governments. 

Our volunteer-led team developed our first learning module, Making the Case for Local Election Voter Turnout. This module not only addressed the issue of low voter turnout in local elections but also empowered attendees to increase civic participation in their communities.

Over the course of 5 months, we hosted workshops in Kalamazoo, Warren, Monroe, Lansing, and Marquette. We partnered with 12 community organizations throughout the workshop series, including the Kalamazoo NAACP, APIAVote, NorthernVotes, the American Association of University Women, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters. 

Now, Democracy Academy is returning for its second year, and we’re introducing additional modules so that voters can take their civic activism to the next level. These monthly virtual workshops will increase accessibility to the content, as well as our overall impact and engagement. 

Our first workshop, Democracy Academy 101, will be held on March 20th, 2024 at 6 PM as a refresher course and introduction to our workshop series. 

Democracy Academy 101 March 20th 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Additional workshop topics will include:

  • Proposal 22-2: How These New Voting Laws Affect Michigan Voters
  • Citizen Lobbying Your Local Government
  • Participatory Budgeting: How To Take Part in Your Local Government’s Spending
  • Monitoring Your Local Elections
  • Starting a Local and Statewide Ballot Initiative

Interested in learning more about Democracy Academy or our other education fund programs? Please reach out to Education Programs Manager Alyson Grigsby at alyson@votersnotpoliticians.com.

Voter Access Town Halls Meet Voters Where They Are

Given all the changes taking place in Michigan’s election administration system and the anticipation around the 2024 election cycle, it’s more important than ever that voters have access to accurate and up-to-date information about how to vote. 

That’s why in 2023, Voters Ed Fund launched the Voter Access Town Hall Series as part of the ramp up to our My City Votes 2024 campaign. These town halls were created to bring all things voter education to the residents of communities that have been historically marginalized in our democracy.  

The Voter Access Town Halls are designed to be a publicly accessible community forum for individuals to learn, engage, and strategize their voting plan. The town halls, as well as the wider My City Votes campaign, focus on reaching sporadic voters who may not have the most updated information or who have “checked out” from voting for various reasons. Our goal is to not only provide a voter with what they need to know to be civically engaged but also the perspective to know why their vote matters, especially at the local level, and empower them to share that message with their wider network and community. 

So far, My City Votes has completed town halls in Muskegon Heights, Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, and Flint. Each town hall has taken on its own unique shape, bringing a diverse array of city and community leaders.

At every town hall, the local city clerk  provides analysis on voter turnout in previous elections, explains new voting rights laws, and answers election-related questions from attendees. Other city officials have included city commissioners and school board members, who have discussed their local responsibilities and how it is tied to voter participation and electoral accountability. Additional town hall speakers have ranged from high school civic teachers to church leaders. Aside from information sharing, every town hall has created the opportunity for on-site voter registration, absentee ballot assistance, and double-checking one’s precinct or polling location . 

These events wouldn’t be possible without partnerships from local organizations. Voters Ed Fund has successfully partnered with local community groups in planning these events, such as Berrien Forward in Benton Harbor, Muskegon Young Black Professionals in Muskegon Heights, Urban Core Collective in Grand Rapids, North Flint Neighborhood Action Council in Flint, and more. 

The My City Votes Voter Access Town Halls have provided the necessary voter education residents of Michigan need in advance of the 2024 election cycle. Moreover, these events have opened an important dialogue between city officials and  community members, creating a healthy relationship where residents can be heard and city officials be better informed of the needs within their area. The town hall series has proven to be an important way for Voters Ed Fund to ensure it reaches its goal of increasing voter turnout in 2024 and beyond. 

Testimonies

  • Grand Rapids town hall panelist and Kent County Commissioner, Ivan Diaz, remarked that it was “a real privilege to have been invited to be a panelist, [and I’m] looking forward to seeing all the good work from VNP in 2024”
  • Grand Rapids town hall attendee wrote, “It was very informative and also nice to see our elected officials so committed to informing their community about the changes to legislation and how their role plays a part in that.”
  • Grand Rapids town hall, “I loved the voices on the panel. Each official was very relevant to the work to be done and information to be learned for our 2024 election cycle. 
  • One Muskegon Heights town hall attendee wrote that the event was “the best interactive meeting I have went to from a non-political standpoint and are looking forward to changes taking place in the near future!”

Voter Access Town Hall encourages informed voting in our community

Voters Not Politicians Education Fund (Voters Ed Fund), in partnership with the North Flint Neighborhood Action Council and Concerned Pastors for Social Action, recently hosted the “Flint Voter Access Town Hall.” There, the many residents who attended were able to discuss how to navigate new changes to Michigan’s voting laws as community leaders addressed expectations of voter turnout and answered questions from the community.

The Flint Voter Access Town Hall is part of a total campaign that is looking to make sure that historically marginalized communities in our democracy are engaged and informed in this upcoming election year, according to Melinda Billingsley, communications manager for Voters Not Politicians.

Melinda Billingsley, communications manager for Voters Not Politicians.

The Town Hall was held on Tuesday, Jan. 30, at the Flint Development Center.

Billingsley pointed out it was part of the My City Votes 2024 Campaign, which includes other municipalities.

“We’ve been to Benton Harbor, Muskegon Heights and Grand Rapids,” said Billingsley. “We’re going to Pontiac. So, all of these communities are part of a large campaign to make sure we’re hitting as many residents as possible, and getting them the correct information, straight from their local clerks – so that they are able to engage in their democratic process.”

This story was originally published by Flint Courier News. Read more here: https://theflintcouriernews.com/voter-access-town-hall-encourages-informed-voting-in-our-community/

Refresher on Michigan’s New Redistricting Process

Proposal 18-2, authored and championed by Voters Not Politicians, established the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC). 61% of Michigan voters approved the passage of Proposal 18-2. Michigan’s new redistricting process requires that voters – not politicians – draw the political maps for Congress, the Michigan State Senate, and the Michigan State House every ten years. The entire process is required to be fair, impartial, and transparent. 

As a reminder, Voters Not Politicians was the citizen-led force which developed this process, and championed it to the ballot. From there, the Secretary of State’s office took responsibility for executing the commissioner selection process (explained below) and then the commission itself executed the process of drawing and approving the district maps. 

Here’s what that process looked like in full:

Key Points 

  • MICRC is made up of everyday citizens. It is comprised of 4 Democrats, 4 Republicans, and 5 non-affiliated members. The selection process involves a weighted random drawing from a pool of qualified applicants to create a diverse and representative commission. Voters Not Politicians designed this selection process to put redistricting in the hands of independent public servants and to give every voter the opportunity to be represented in the redistricting process.
    1. Commissioners must be at least 18 years of age and a registered Michigan voter. 
    2. Commissioners must NOT be or in the past six years have been any of the following;
      • A candidate or elected official for partisan federal, state, or local office
      • An officer or member of the governing body of a political party
      • A paid consultant or employee of an elected official or candidate
      • An employee of the legislature
      • A registered lobbyist
      • An immediate family member of any individual listed above
  • The redistricting process must be transparent. Michiganders want a redistricting process that is transparent to the people and allows every voter to make their voice heard.
    1. Meetings held by the MICRC must be live-streamed and available to the public. 
    2. Every resident of Michigan has the right to give public comment before, during, and after map drawing. 
    3. A minimum of 15 public hearings are required before final maps can be approved
  • The Michigan constitution requires fair maps and provides for seven ranked criteria.
    1. Equal population and compliance with the Voting Rights Act and other federal laws
    2. Geographically contiguous 
    3. Maps reflect the state’s diverse population and communities of interest
    4. No advantage to any political party
    5. No advantage to any incumbent or candidate
    6. Consideration of municipal boundaries
    7. Reasonably compact
  • Maps must be approved by a constitutional majority of the commission.
    • The final maps must be approved by a majority of the commissioners, including at least two Democrats, two Republicans, and two non-affiliated members.
  • Only the independent commission can approve district maps. 
    • The voter-approved constitutional amendment specifies that “in no event shall any body, except the independent citizens redistricting commission acting pursuant to this Section, promulgate and adopt a redistricting plan or plans for this state,” including in cases where legal challenges result in court-ordered remedies or redrawing of district lines. 

What’s Next

The next steps for the MICRC involve adhering to the court’s order for the redrawing of specific districts in metro Detroit. The commission is tasked with completing this process by February 2nd, 2024, ensuring compliance with legal requirements and addressing concerns raised during the court proceedings. There will be a designated public comment period, where the MICRC will actively seek input from the public. 

This commitment to an inclusive and participatory process reflects the MICRC’s dedication to upholding the core principles of the Proposal 18-2 constitutional framework that Michigan voters approved. While this process will take time, it will be transparent, and will  ensure that voters, not politicians, draw the lines.