In case you missed the announcement last month, Voters Not Politicians completed the evaluation process and chose 58 candidates to receive a Pro-Voter endorsement! Voting is fundamental to representative government; it is essential that elections are accessible to all who take the time and responsibility to cast their ballots.
Our path to these endorsements started when we learned that some candidates for Michigan elected positions from the House of Representatives to the Governor’s office were in attendance at the Jan 6 insurrection in Washington D.C. As election deniers announced their candidacies from the top to the bottom of the ticket, it became clear that Voters Not Politicians had to take action. A committee of volunteers and staff met regularly over several months and looked closely at the candidates for Michigan offices, completing research into their public statements, endorsements, funders and, in the case of incumbents, voting records.
Endorsed pro-voter candidates met several qualifications. They demonstrate shared VNP values of strengthening and protecting our democracy. They have a viable campaign evidenced by support from donors and their community. Incumbent candidates have a record of introducing and voting for pro-voter bills or legislation that aims to increase government transparency and accountability.
We created a candidate questionnaire that aimed to uncover whether candidates shared Voters Not Politicians values. The questionnaire addressed voting access and common-sense ethics and transparency reform. You can read all the questions here. Approved candidates completed the questionnaire with at least 12/13 responses in agreement with VNP values and mission. Anyone who indicated that they did not believe the 2020 general election was without widespread voter fraud was immediately removed from consideration.
Elected representatives must be accountable to the constituents they serve and act in their interests. Voters Not Politicians is letting voters know which Michigan candidates they can trust to stand up for democracy.
Please include the list of candidates who attended the “January 6th insurection, ” and those who are deniers of the 2020 presidential election, the most secure in our history as a nation