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.

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.

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!”