Blog: Democracy Academy Hosts First Workshop

We are happy to report that Democracy Academy has completed our first pilot class in the City of Kalamazoo. On Monday, June 12th, our team successfully completed our first workshop with 15 participants. Participants included volunteers and leaders from El Concilio, Outfront Kalamazoo, NAACP, League of Women Voters, and the YWCA; along with general community members.

Beginning this year, Democracy Academy is hosting a series of educational workshops to explore the problem of low voter participation in municipal elections, how our current system perpetuates low turnout, and why the result is eroding our community-level democratic institutions. Participants will learn what they can do to lead the change to make voting in local elections a priority in their communities. 

Our first workshop was a fantastic opportunity for local community activists to convene and discuss the work ahead for the 2023 local election season. We thank them for spending their valuable time with us for an evening of learning and engagement. 

Participants also provided us with constructive feedback through post-workshop surveys they completed at the end of the evening. We will use this feedback as we revise and improve our materials and presentation for future workshops later this summer.

Blog: We Interviewed Local Clerks About Proposal 22-2 Implementation: Here’s what they have to say about the work ahead

Proposal 22-2, passed by voters in 2022, is now being implemented. Once the supporting legislation has been signed into law, 1,603 local and county election clerks will be responsible for ensuring that the Prop 22-2 amendment is carried out across Michigan’s 1,520 local election jurisdictions. 

From late March to late May 2023, Voters Not Politicians Education Fund interviewed more than 30 municipal election clerks throughout the state of Michigan to learn and share their perspectives on the work ahead. 

The interviews revealed several key findings. Firstly, all of the clerks expressed the need for additional financial support from the state to adequately fund elections in 2024, regardless of their jurisdiction’s size. Many clerks highlighted uncertainty regarding their plans for early voting, with 16 out of 33 respondents still undecided and awaiting guidance. Another notable finding was that a majority of clerks have little experience in administering pre-paid postage for absentee ballot return envelopes. Regarding publicly-disclosed donations to fund elections, there was a lack of clarity among clerks. Nearly half of clerks expressed uncertainty as to whether they would accept or seek such donations, indicating a need for more guidance from state authorities in order to move forward.

Lastly, the clerks emphasized the importance of voter education over the next two years. They stressed the need for comprehensive education on the election process, the changes introduced by Proposal 22-2, and the security measures in place that ensure fair and accurate elections. They hope to see voters well-informed and empowered to participate in the electoral process.

Read our Full Report

We could not have completed this comprehensive report without our Clerk Engagement Volunteers! We express our heartfelt gratitude and utmost appreciation to our remarkable volunteers who have dedicated their time, energy, and passion to this project. Your generosity and selflessness inspire us all and remind us of the power of collective action. To each and every one of our volunteers, thank you for making a difference in the lives of others. Your dedication to civic engagement leaves a lasting legacy of compassion and hope for the people of Michigan.

Blog: Votes Ed Fund Publishes New Report: Ensuring the Equitable Distribution of AV Drop Boxes

In addition to engaging election clerks, Voters Ed Fund is using a data-driven approach to make substantial contributions to understanding the work needed to implement Proposal 22-2. In early April, we published Implementing Proposal 22-2: Ensuring the Equitable Distribution of AV Drop Boxes. Our publicly shared report was disseminated to volunteers, stakeholders, coalition partners, and the Michigan Secretary of State to better understand the number of drop boxes that will need to be added across Michigan to provide the required number of AV Drop Boxes. Our report found that 709 additional AV Drop Boxes will need to be added this year across 630 election jurisdictions. 


Voters Ed Fund is working with a robust coalition of more than a dozen nonpartisan organizations. We meet weekly to share updates, materials and timelines to make sure our collective work is as effective and efficient as possible. As the nonprofit that has been the first to launch this kind of program in the state, Voters Ed Fund is sharing information we are learning from volunteers and clerks.

Blog: Voters Ed Fund Continues to Engage Election Clerks

As of May 1st, Voters Ed Fund has recruited 128 volunteers in 39 Michigan counties to support implementation of Proposal 22-2, which voters overwhelmingly approved last November to guarantee more ballot access. Voters Ed Fund volunteers continued meeting with their clerks throughout April and by month’s end had met with local clerks in 15 municipalities (22 total since March) across 10 counties, representing 576,043 registered voters. Our goal is to identify gaps in implementation and the concerns of both clerks and voters, and to provide grassroots support to local election administrators who must comply with the directives of Proposal 22-2. With our large, distributed network of trained volunteers, Voters Ed Fund is well suited to monitoring and supporting implementation across numerous municipalities, including population centers and historically underrepresented communities.