All political power is inherent in the people
The Michigan Constitution of 1963 begins with the following words: “All political power is inherent in the people.”
Voters Not Politicians envisions a truly representative democracy, where the will of the voters drives government decision-making and public policy. We are a nonpartisan advocacy organization that works to strengthen democracy by engaging people across Michigan in effective citizen action.
We have a track record of success
Voters Not Politicians is a pro-democracy organization and we've demonstrated our ability to enact real pro-democracy change. In 2017, we launched an anti-gerrymandering campaign to create a fair, impartial, and transparent redistricting process in Michigan. On November 6, 2018, Proposal 2 passed with 61% of the vote and created an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission.
In 2022, Voters Not Politicians played a critical role in getting Proposal 22-2 on the ballot, by gathering over 171,000 signatures through volunteer circulating. Proposal 22-2, which expanded voting rights and ballot access for all Michiganders, passed with 60% of the vote.
Our Policy Platform
Article 1, Section 1 of the Michigan constitution reads: “All political power is inherent in the people.”
This basic principle that ultimate power resides in the people is the foundation of our mission at Voters Not Politicians.
Voters Not Politicians defends and promotes policies that strengthen democracy. Michigan’s government must truly represent the will of the people, all votes must count equally, and all voices must be heard. Our representatives must not be unduly influenced by lobbyists or special interests or motivated by personal gain.
Our platform supports:
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Voters Not Politicians has always been a grassroots, volunteer-driven organization. As we’ve grown, we’ve had to figure out how to make sure our work is true to our values and that our organization reflects the people we serve, which is all of Michigan’s diverse population.
Since 2021, we’ve begun implementing new practices aimed at increasing diversity among our staff, Board, and volunteers, and operating with a lens of equity and inclusion in recruiting and programming. This includes:
- Updating our hiring practices;
- Connecting our board with our volunteer community;
- Integrating DEI discussions as part of our weekly staff meetings;
- Looking at all decisions through a DEI lens;
And making a conscious choice to spend our time and resources on projects and programs that give voice to people and groups who are often underrepresented in our democracy.
Our work is centered around the first line of Michigan’s constitution: “All political power is inherent in the people.” We can only build our capacity to serve all of Michigan’s people by ensuring that our VNP community is diverse, inclusive, and equitable. We are committed to creating a space for activism that is welcoming and accessible to all in our movement to build a better democracy in Michigan.
Voters Not Politicians is leading the effort to engage with state legislators to pass good-governance reforms to protect voting rights, strengthen our democracy, and ensure political power remains in the hands of the voters.
Pro-voter Legislation
In 2022, thanks to the work of Voters Not Politicians, Michigan voters elected a pro-voter majority to both houses of the state legislature for the first time in decades. Now we are training and mobilizing grassroots citizen lobbyists to pass legislation that will further strengthen Michigan’s democracy and protect the rights of voters.
Anti-corruption
Michigan ranks dead last in government transparency and accountability. Michigan’s ethical standards for state officials are notoriously low. The time has come to raise them and adopt new standards to restore the integrity of our state government in Lansing. The only way we can change this is through laws that pull back the curtain so people can hold politicians accountable.
Free and Fair Elections
Despite recent progress on voting rights through citizen ballot initiatives, Black and Brown voters, disabled voters and those whose first language is not English, still face unequal barriers to the ballot box in Michigan. Michigan could set a new standard for state-level voting rights by enacting the Michigan Voting Rights Act. The MIVRA would protect the rights of voters from attacks made by bad actors and give Michigan voters the right to use the justice system if their voting rights are threatened.
Gerrymandering Reform
Holding elected officials accountable at the ballot box is only possible in fair districts. Ending prison gerrymandering and enacting county-level gerrymandering reform would ensure that every election district in the state truly represents the people.
Our Organization
Voters Not Politicians (VNP) is a 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to engaging Michigan citizens in effective actions to strengthen our democracy. We know that democracy is stronger when voters are engaged and educated, and demand to be a part of government decision-making and public policy.
Voters Not Politicians Education Fund (Voters Ed Fund) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to strengthening democracy in Michigan through public education and civic participation.
The Voters Action Committee is an independent expenditure committee mobilizing a nonpartisan grassroots group of 5,000 organized, highly trained volunteers. Voters Action Committee is focused on electing pro-voter candidates who will fight to protect the integrity of our elections and the freedom to vote in Michigan. Voters Action Committee can accept unlimited personal and corporate contributions.