Blog - Voters Not Politicians Education Fund

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!”

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.

Democracy Academy Empowering Civic Engagement: Volunteer Spotlight on Sheila Moore and Our Lansing Workshop

On October 24th, in Lansing, Voters Ed Fund hosted a Democracy Academy workshop that kindled a passion for civic engagement in our attendees. We asked Sheila Moore, an inspiring local democracy advocate who played a pivotal role in facilitating the event, about her experience helping launch Democracy Academy in Lansing.

About the event: Democracy begins at the local level, but many voters are not making their voices heard. Local elections in the odd years barely reach more than 20% voter participation. Democracy Academy’s first class, “Making the Case for GOTV in Local Elections,” seeks to increase voter participation at the local level. The classroom-style workshop focuses on 4 key topics: how our current system encourages low turnout at the local level, the consequences of low voter participation, our recommended techniques to create positive change, and how to encourage others to make local elections a priority.

*Voters Ed Fund volunteer*
*Shelia Moore*

About Sheila: Sheila Moore is an integral member of our volunteer team who helped make the Lansing workshop successful. She informed the class curriculum, performed extensive research to custom-tailor the class, and conducted exhaustive outreach efforts throughout the Lansing area to recruit attendees. We asked her a few questions about her experience helping launch Democracy Academy in Lansing.

What inspired you to volunteer for the Democracy Academy workshop in Lansing? “I wanted to be a part of civic education. Voter registration is essential, however, voter education is vital to elevate voter participation by emphasizing why voting matters.”

What advice or encouragement would you offer to someone considering volunteering for a similar event in the future? “They should jump in and learn about Voters Not Politicians overall and then determine where they would like to target their efforts. There are many ways to get involved.”

Can you share your most memorable moment from the event? “When the participants were made aware of the ballot proposal to amend the Lansing City Charter. I felt it was a light bulb-shining experience because little has been said about it.“

What professional skills or life experiences do you feel served you well in volunteering for this event? “In my career as a researcher with the state legislature, I would be involved in conducting new member orientations where we helped newly elected legislators understand the services we provide and helped them to navigate the landscape of state government and the legislative process. That experience helped me to explain to members how staff services can help them to serve their constituents and to develop policy.”

Do you plan to volunteer with VNP in the future? “I plan to continue to be involved in Voters Not Politicians, Democracy Academy, and the work we plan to do for the 2024 election.”

Would you like to share special thanks or shout-outs to individuals or teams you worked with during the event? “Working with VNP staff Charlie Beall and Alyson Grigsby, and volunteer Verlecia Kelley has been such an enriching experience. Being around people who have a shared passion to empower voters and to strengthen democracy is the fulfillment of something I’ve wanted to be a part of for a long time.”

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers? “Our votes matter. The true power is in the collective participation of voters. If that were not true, there wouldn’t be such a battle to keep it!”

Blog: Gearing up to Protect Our Elections – Again!

In partnership with Promote the Vote’s Election Protection Program, Voters Ed Fund is re-launching our Nonpartisan Election Challenger and Observer Recruitment Program for local elections on November 7th.

We are committed to recruiting and training volunteers to protect voters’ rights and help keep Michigan’s elections safe, free, fair, and transparent.

Become an Election Challenger Today!

Voters Ed Fund’s goal is to recruit 250 volunteers who will observe election administrators and poll workers and advocate for voters at risk of voter disenfranchisement at the polls. We are also recruiting volunteers interested in serving as election challengers at early voting sites piloted in select cities throughout the state.

Why do we need nonpartisan election challengers?

Nonpartisan election challengers are crucial to protecting voters from being disenfranchised at their polling place by…

Being the voter’s advocate. A nonpartisan election challenger’s only priority is protecting the rights of the individual voter – not the party or candidates on the ballot.
Monitoring the election process at polling locations, satellite offices, and absent voter counting boards.
Raising an official objection, called a “challenge,” if the challenger does not believe that the poll worker is following Michigan’s election law.

What are the expectations for volunteer election challengers?

Commitment to nonpartisan volunteerism while serving as an election challenger.
Interested in learning about voting rights and how to protect voters from being disenfranchised.
Complete training and assessment before Election Day (appx. 2 hours)
Available on Election Day or during the Early Voting period – We encourage Election Day volunteers to be available the entire day. Still, shorter shifts will be available for those with work and family obligations. Early vote center poll challengers do not need to be available for the whole day.

If you’re ready to observe elections and help protect the fundamental right to vote this Election Day, sign up to be a nonpartisan election challenger today!

See the Summer Success from Voters Ed Fund

During 2023, we at the Voters Ed Fund have been working on three main projects to increase voter education statewide and inform voters about their expanded voting rights:

Proposal 22-2 Implementation: Also known as our Clerk Engagement program, volunteers across the state are working with their local city and township clerks to identify gaps in implementing Proposal 22-2 and provide grassroots support to ensure that Michigan voters can benefit from expanded voting access in next year’s primary elections. In total, we have recruited 222 clerk engagement volunteers across 45 counties, and have received 70 reports from interviews with municipal and county clerks, representing a total of 1,764,110 registered voters.

*Facilitator from APIA Vote leads workshop in Warren.*

Democracy Academy: In 2023, the Voters Ed Fund launched Democracy Academy, a series of in-person workshops to identify short-term and long-term solutions to low voter turnout in municipal elections statewide and expand local civic engagement. Our volunteer-led team has been hard at work over the summer to roll out our pilot workshops featuring our first learning module, Making the Case for Local Election Voter Turnout. We are pleased to announce that we have hosted three workshops in Kalamazoo, Warren, and Monroe, garnering 65 attendees total. Throughout this workshop series, we have partnered with local community organizations including the Kalamazoo NAACP, APIA Vote, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters. We are continuing our statewide tour throughout September with workshops in Lansing on September 9th and in Marquette on September 12th.

My City Votes (MCV): The Voters Ed Fund is working hand-in-hand with local clerks, mayors, and other trusted community leaders across the state to make sure that voters, especially those in underrepresented communities, know their voting options and have confidence in local and state election systems. My City Votes is a strategic collaboration with city officials and community partners to maximize voter education of expanded voting services and critical voting deadlines, prioritizing voters with the lowest propensity to vote. MCV will collaborate with city officials in six communities during the 2023-2024 election cycle: Flint, Pontiac, Grand Rapids, Inkster, Benton Harbor, and Muskegon Heights.

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

Blog: Sharing What We Love About Our Democracy (And What We’re Taking on Next)

“Would you like information about your new voting rights, courtesy of Voters Not Politicians? We ended gerrymandering in 2018, expanding voting rights in 2022, and now we’re working on bringing ethics and transparency reforms to our state government.”

This might sound familiar to you if you happened to walk by the nonprofits section of the Ann Arbor Art Fair last month. Organized by the Ann Arbor team of Voters Not Politicians volunteers, the VNP table was a space to share information about the pro-democracy success Voters Not Politicians has achieved in our state. Volunteers passed out flyers that detailed new voting options that are available in Michigan, thanks in part to the thousands of VNP volunteers who gathered over 171,000 signatures to put Proposal 2 on the ballot in 2022.

Volunteers also shared the pro-democracy priorities that Voters Not Politicians is working on right now, including explaining how we can bring ethics and transparency reforms to the legislature and governor’s office, and introducing the problem of, and solutions to, prison gerrymandering. Many attendees were excited and curious to hear about these new avenues of democracy reform, and we look forward to sharing more information and mobilizing the public to enact these changes.

We also had an incredible opportunity to get feedback from everyday Michigan voters on their thoughts of the current state of democracy in Michigan and in the country as a whole. Several attendees took the time to share their thoughts on our democracy and on Voters Not Politicians’ growing pro-democracy movement, including a mother interviewing her young son on what democracy in America means to him. Volunteers at the table also shared why they take the time to work with Voters Not Politicians and the value they feel our organization brings to Michigan’s democracy.

While every Michigan voter has benefited from the pro-democracy successes of Voters Not Politicians and Voters Ed Fund, the Ann Arbor Art Fair, and other tabling events this summer, have given us the opportunity to remind the public of the value of Voters Not Politicians’ grassroots pro-democracy movement: from ending gerrymandering, to expanding voting rights, to launching innovative voter outreach and education programs.

Even our staff here at VNP got the opportunity to come out and enjoy the weather and the work of our dedicated volunteers! We’d like to thank the entire Ann Arbor volunteer leadership team, especially Lisa, Rita, and Marie for their work in organizing this opportunity, as well as every volunteer who took the time to staff the VNP table and share their passion for VNP and voting rights with their fellow Michiganders. And an extra special thank you to Chris for filming and editing the attendee and volunteer interviews into a powerful profile of Voters Not Politicians’ impact on our strengthening democracy. Look out for that video on our website and socials this month!