Michiganders have a constitutional right to direct democracy, where Michigan voters can directly decide on policy initiatives — without our elected officials interfering — through citizen-initiated constitutional amendments. This is a powerful tool because it allows Michiganders to enact change in policy when our politicians are resistant to that change or when partisan divides in state government block progress.
The process is simple: we collect enough valid signatures from registered Michigan voters to put a constitutional or statutory amendment on the ballot, and then Michigan voters vote to approve or deny that amendment. A simple majority vote is required to enact that amendment.
Through direct democracy, Voters Not Politicians has overcome partisan resistance or division to:
Scroll to read how Voters Not Politicians has used Direct Democracy to engage Michiganders and strengthen our state’s democracy.
Voters Not Politicians was formed when a small group of everyday Michiganders decided to take on the biggest problem in our political system: politicians who aren’t accountable to the people they represent.
In the aftermath of the 2016 election, a group of political novices started organizing, and by 2018 we were a grassroots powerhouse of 6,500 volunteers who, against all odds, got a constitutional amendment proposal on the ballot and passed to establish the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission.
The amendment put the power to draw election district maps in the hands of voters and created a fair, impartial, and transparent process. Read the full amendment here.
Voters Not Politicians volunteers collected more than 425,000 petition signatures from registered voters in every Michigan county with an all-volunteer effort.
Voters Not Politicians survived legal challenges that went all the way up to the Michigan Supreme Court to keep Proposal 2 on the ballot.
Volunteers spread the word to vote “Yes on 2” across the state, knocking on more than 460,000 doors, talking to voters at fairs and festivals, and more.
On November 6, 2018, 61% of Michigan voters from across the state and across the political spectrum passed Proposal 2, a constitutional amendment to put the power to draw our election district maps in the hands of the voters — not politicians.
The amendment clearly defines who can participate in future redistricting processes, how the maps are drawn, and when the maps are drawn.
On Tuesday, December 28th, 2021, Michigan’s Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission adopted new maps for Congress, State Senate, and State House.
Each map passed with a constitutional majority of at least two Democrats, two Republicans, and two Non-Affiliated commissioners. Their ability to rise above their political differences to meet their constitutional duty is a testament to their commitment to our democracy and an example of what people across the political spectrum can achieve when we work together to prioritize the will of voters – not politicians.
Voters Not Politicians played a leading role in the signature collection effort to protect and expand voting rights in Michigan. Our people-powered movement re-energized, re-trained, and re-organized thousands of volunteers across the state who were ready to pick up their clipboards and circulate the Promote the Vote petition.
Voters Not Politicians volunteers collected over 170,000 signatures to put the Promote the Vote 2022 proposal on the ballot. The proposal would:
In the meantime, Republicans tried to kick the proposal off the ballot, undermining Michigan voters’ right to have a say in this policy change. The legal battle went all the way up to the Michigan Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled that the proposal would head to the ballot for Michigan voters to decide.
Voters Not Politicians kept our volunteer force engaged and knocked more than 125,000 doors, urging Michigan voters to support the Promote the Vote proposal.
With our support, Prop 2 passed with nearly 60% of the vote, giving even more political power back to the people of Michigan.
Voters Not Politicians is a 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to strengthening democracy in Michigan by engaging citizens in projects and initiatives across the state. Contributions made to Voters Not Politicians are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes.
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