Blog: Mi ciudad vota en 2025

Education and civic engagement are the foundations of democracy. Voters Ed Fund is ready to work with local community partners to expand our civic education programs and empower  Michigan voters, but we need to break through the increasing levels of damage caused by misinformation over several election cycles.

Over the last two years, we have built relationships with local organizations and community leaders in Flint, Pontiac, Grand Rapids, Muskegon Heights, Benton Harbor, and Warren through our My City Votes program. It has always been our goal to continue developing these partnerships in order to grow the grassroots activist community in Michigan and ensure every community has the power to create people-powered change. 

In 2025, My City Votes will work to support local community partners and expand the civic engagement and education programs we offer to ensure Michiganders are empowered with the tools to advocate for their unique and diverse communities. We will develop lasting partnerships with local organizations and voters in key cities, lending our resources and expertise to support voters in historically underrepresented communities to make their voices heard. 

Our plans for My City Votes communities in 2025 include election education during the May, August, and November local elections, educational town halls in partnership with local officials, and expanding our Democracy Academy program, tailored to the needs of individual communities, to reach voters where they are and help them engage with local government. We also plan to identify vacancies on municipal boards and commissions and engage community members to consider serving on those boards

My City Votes 2025 will build on the work Voters Ed Fund has done throughout the last two election cycles to support local municipalities and community organizations in building a more educated, engaged, and empowered citizenry.

Benton Harbor acepta subsidios para elecciones

Two grants to improve elections have been awarded to the city of Benton Harbor.

City commissioners this week voted to accept $10,000 from the More Responsive Government 2024 Grant Program to purchase two new tabulators for absentee ballots.

City Clerk Tiffany Moore told them about the other grant.

“$7,000 from the Voters Not Politicians Education Fund, and that is used for communication and public relations strictly related to the November 2024 election,” Moore said. “So, you’ll be seeing signs throughout the city directing you on where to go to vote, how to register to vote, how to obtain an absentee ballot. There’ll be information about early voting on there. We’ll partner with Voters Not Politicians for some direct mailers, possibly some events, and maybe even a billboard.”

Moore said the new tabulators will be especially helpful as the city is expecting around 1,000 absentee ballots to be cast in the November 5 election. It’s mailed out 878 so far and has already received 92 back.

Moore tells residents who haven’t received an absentee ballot but want one to contact the city clerk’s office.

This story was originally published by WSJM. Read more here: https://www.wsjm.com/2024/10/08/benton-harbor-accepts-elections-grants/

Blog: Mi Ciudad Vota Marca la Diferencia – Porque Cada Voto Cuenta

En 2022, Voters Ed Fund lanzó una campaña integral de Movilización de Votantes (GOTV) en cinco ciudades de Míchigan, movilizando a poblaciones con baja propensión a votar para las elecciones generales de 2022. My City Votes es un programa innovador que colabora con funcionarios municipales y organizadores comunitarios locales para desarrollar campañas de educación y alcance electoral específicas para cada ciudad, que incluyen sitios web, eventos, correo directo, visitas puerta a puerta dirigidas y mensajes de texto masivos, entre otros, para aumentar la participación electoral, la asistencia a las urnas y la participación cívica en general.

En 2024, Voters Ed Fund relanzó My City Votes y se expandió a seis comunidades: Pontiac, Muskegon Heights, Warren, Benton Harbor, Flint y Grand Rapids. Aunque algunos de estos son municipios más pequeños, Grand Rapids y Warren son la segunda y tercera ciudad más grande de Míchigan, y representan a una gran población de votantes con baja propensión que corren el riesgo de no votar en esta elección. También continuamos con nuestro trabajo para apoyar a los votantes en Detroit, como parte de la asociación Detroit Votes que continúa este año. 

Sabemos que en elecciones reñidas, como vimos en 2016 y 2020, apenas 2 votos por recinto electoral pueden determinar el resultado de las elecciones. Por eso es tan importante llegar ahora a los votantes con baja propensión a votar y hacerles saber que su voto realmente importa. 

A través de nuestras asociaciones con funcionarios y organizaciones comunitarias, los votantes recibirán múltiples contactos de mensajeros de confianza que proporcionarán la información y el estímulo que necesitan para participar en esta elección. En Grand Rapids, por ejemplo, nuestros socios locales del Grand Rapids Hispanic Center y la Creston Neighborhood Association pronto comenzarán a tocar puertas. Su pronto inicio en esas comunidades marcará una diferencia especialmente importante para preparar a los votantes cuando comience la votación en ausencia a finales de este mes. 

Nos entusiasma ver cómo My City Votes impactará la participación en las elecciones de este noviembre, pero el programa My City Votes trata sobre mucho más que una sola elección. Al asociarnos con líderes locales, nuestra meta es ayudar a construir el poder de los votantes en comunidades de todo Míchigan, y asegurar que los votantes sepan que cada elección importa y cada voto cuenta.

Ayúdanos a llegar a 200,000 votantes a través de My City Votes

Utilizar el cabildeo ciudadano como fuerza para el cambio

“Citizen Lobbying: Advocating to Your Local Government” was recently presented virtually by the Democracy Academy, as a project of the Voters Not Politicians Education Fund (Voters Ed Fund).

Voters Not Politicians is a voter-led prodemocracy political reform movement in Michigan.

“Learning how lobbying can be used is a force for change at the local level,” said Alyson Grigsby, education programs manager For Voters Not Politicians.

Grigsby added the presentation was being held to help citizens understand their power as citizens and advocates to their local government. She pointed out the right to lobby is protected by the First Amendment and a way to petition the government for a redress or to give money.

According to Grigsby, citizen lobbying can look like contacting not only elected officials, but city managers and department heads.

“This could involve calling, sending emails, writing letters, attending meetings or inviting officials to your coffee hour or group meeting. It could involve lobbying your officials via public comment. You might also consider writing a letter to the editor of a local publication to gather public support and help find allies. This also brings attention to officials.”

Participants in the virtual event were invited to look at real-life case studies of citizens using their power to lobby their government. The case studies helped show the variety of issues and interests citizens can lobby for.

“Even if your goals are unsuccessful initially-and I want to put out initially-for getting something passed, you get that internal satisfaction of being connected to the community in general on something you’re passionate about,” said Grigsby.”…Sometimes there will be roadblocks to trying to get something adopted related to funding or understanding how it should be particularly implemented. I don’t want you to take this as a loss….It’s OK because it shows the people and you that this is something people can do by engaging directly with the democratic process.”

This story was originally published by Flint Courier News. Read more here: https://theflintcouriernews.com/using-citizen-lobbying-as-a-force-for-change/

Mis votos de la ciudad 2024 acaban de volverse aún más grandes

As we prepare for the November General Election this year, Voters Ed Fund has been building up our partnerships with local clerks, mayors, and other trusted community leaders in our My City Votes communities to make sure that voters, especially those in underrepresented communities, know their voting options and have confidence in local and state election systems.

We are excited to announce that we are officially adding another municipality to our My City Votes 2024 campaign: Warren, Michigan, the third largest city in our state!

To be selected as a My City Votes municipality, communities must meet a few specific criteria, including having an above average population of historically disenfranchised voting groups, higher rates of poverty, and below average voter turnout rate compared to the state at large. Our goal is to reach low-propensity voters in these communities and give them the information and motivation they need to get out and vote.

Warren, as the third largest city in Michigan, has a population of over 135,000, and provides Voters Ed Fund with an opportunity to reach even more voters from historically marginalized communities. Thanks to cooperation from the Warren Mayor, we will be targeting an additional 53,000 voters to help them to exercise their constitutional right to vote this November. 

While we’re excited to be expanding to another city, our work in Warren was not part of our original budget for this program. That means in order to make sure we can make the impact we want to have in this city, we’ll need to raise an additional $100,000 between now and September, when this campaign will fully launch. If you want to support My City Votes 2024, and the work of Voters Ed Fund to educate, motivate, and empower voters in historically marginalized communities, make your tax-deductible donation here.

Presentadores del Fondo de Educación para los Votantes garantizan que los habitantes de Míchigan puedan votar con confianza en 2024

In February 2024, Michigan voters participated in the most accessible statewide election in Michigan’s history, taking advantage of new options such as early voting and the permanent absentee ballot list. However, many Michiganders don’t yet know how much more secure, modern, and accessible our elections have become.

That is why the Voters Ed Fund has been training volunteers to inform their communities all over Michigan about their new voting rights.

Group of people seated in chairs around the perimeter of a room.

Throughout 2023, many city and township clerks told us that the best way organizations like Voters Ed Fund can support them is by informing voters about the upcoming election changes. Therefore, as part of our Proposal 2022-2 Implementation program to ensure the successful initiation of Michigan’s new voting laws, Voters Ed Fund has launched an ongoing Voter Educator training program that prepares volunteers to give their own presentations on Michigan’s new voting laws. Since November, Voters Ed Fund has trained over 50 volunteer presenters across 27 municipalities.

To ensure this pivotal voter education reaches a wide scope of voters across Michigan, we encouraged volunteers to engage organizations within their own communities including block clubs, Democratic or Republican clubs, faith organizations, and unions. Since the start of our program, Voters Ed Fund volunteer Voter Educators have already given 22 presentations to over 600 voters across Michigan.

Voters Ed Fund isn’t done educating Michigan voters. We continue to host training sessions to empower volunteers to become Voter Educators and inform their local communities about Michigan’s elections. You can join them in this mission: sign up for an upcoming Voter Educator Training (hosted monthly) to learn how you can help empower your community through voter education!

Interested in securing a VNP voting rights presentation for your local civic, religious, or community group? Reach out to Education Programs Manager Alyson Grigsby at alyson@votersnotpoliticians.com or request a presenter using this online form.