The Headlines
Earlier this week, I sent out our most recent Voters Not Politicians newsletter that gave details on two of our biggest voter contact programs across the VNP family of organizations: My City Votes 2024, and our work to build public awareness of the Michigan Supreme Court election.
I’d like to give you more details on both of these programs, and why they are so valuable to voters. Today, I’ll start with My City Votes, and you’ll hear more about the Michigan Supreme Court election in my next update.
The Details
My City Votes
- My City Votes was first envisioned as a comprehensive Get Out the Vote (GOTV) campaign aimed at increasing voter turnout among voters who may only vote in particularly high profile elections.
- In close elections, like we saw in 2016 and 2020, just two votes per precinct can determine the outcome of the elections. That’s why it’s so important to reach low-propensity voters and let them know that their vote really does matter.
- My City Votes municipalities have below-average voter turnout, greater proportions of historically marginalized voters, and high levels of systemic poverty, making these cities a top priority for the Voters Ed Fund’s mission to strengthen democracy in Michigan through public education and civic participation.
- The framework for My City Votes was based on our partnership with Detroit Votes. Detroit Votes and My City Votes are administered separately, but both have the same goal: increasing voter participation among communities who have been historically marginalized in our democracy.
- In 2022, My City Votes reached almost 60,000 voters in Flint, Pontiac, Inkster, Ecorse, Melvindale, and River Rouge. In 2024, our goal is to reach 200,000 voters in Pontiac, Muskegon Heights, Warren, Benton Harbor, Flint, and Grand Rapids.
- My City Votes utilizes an innovative approach that collaborates with city officials and local community organizers to develop city-specific voter education and outreach campaigns including events, direct mail, targeted canvassing and text-banking, and more. We even set up a voter information website for each city.
- Collaborating with city officials allows My City Votes’ messaging to cut through the oversaturation of political information (and misinformation) that voters receive in the lead-up to elections. This is especially important for reaching voters who have been historically marginalized or disenfranchised and are likely to distrust information coming from third party sources. Accurate information coming from their own city officials helps build trust in voters and further encourages them to participate in their democracy.
- Through our partnerships with officials and community organizations, voters will receive multiple contacts from trusted messengers that provide the information and encouragement they need to participate in this election.
What’s Next
Voters Ed Fund is excited to see how My City Votes will impact turnout in this November’s election, but the My City Votes program is about more than any one election. By partnering with local leaders, it is our goal to help build voter power in communities across Michigan, and to make sure voters know that every election matters and every vote counts.
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