Michigan voters are facing a serious and immediate threat to the ballot access and voting rights they secured through direct democracy just three years ago.
Americans for Citizen Voting, a national special interest group that is pushing a voter suppression petition in Michigan, has ramped up their circulation efforts, making it clear they are well-funded and ready to do whatever it takes to take away power from voters in Michigan.
Since early this spring, Voters Not Politicians has been raising the alarm about so-called “documentary proof of citizenship” policies pushed by self-interested politicians and national special interest groups that would disenfranchise tens of thousands of Michiganders and millions of American citizens.
We started by hosting our largest ever online webinar, which explained what documentary proof of citizenship mandates are, and the effects they’ve had on voters and communities in the states that have implemented them. In April, we hosted a statewide Day of Action with almost one thousand activists signing up to protest outside of their Congressmember’s offices. Many of these activists were brand-new to VNP, but were inspired to take action to protect their right to vote.
By May, volunteers were out in the field, before circulators for either of the announced documentary proof of citizenship petitions got active in the field. We equipped VNP volunteers and partners with information and literature to educate voters in the field and raise awareness about the dangers of the petitions. To date, over 60,000 pieces of literature have been distributed into the hands of volunteers and voters.
Voters Not Politicians continues to facilitate bi-weekly and monthly training sessions for volunteers to learn about the policy, get updates on the petition efforts, learn how to talk to voters and disrupt circulators, and get connected to local groups looking for a presenter who can help them understand the threat of these petitions. We also coordinated with the Detroit Safety Team to facilitate free de-escalation workshops so our volunteers feel safe handling conflicts in the field.
Volunteers trained in circulation disruption have been actively confronting circulators and gaining valuable information about the American for Citizens Voting campaign efforts. Reports confirm that most circulators’ are relying on the highly inaccurate message that the proposal will create a voter ID law in Michigan (something that already exists), will provide free state IDs to those who need them (which is also already law in Michigan), or will actually improve voting rights (blatantly false). With their knowledge, we’ve been able to update our messaging and guidance to partners as well as the general public, so that voters have the most up-to-date information on how to spot these petitions and how to combat circulator misinformation.
Through the Voter Suppression Petition Spotter Hotline, we’ve also implemented a rapid response deployment of volunteers to the areas where circulators are active. The University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus is a standout example of this system. After voter suppression petitions were spotted on campus and reported through the hotline, VNP volunteers in the area mobilized a regular rotation of volunteers to be observers on campus and inform students about the dangers of these petitions.
In recent weeks, the number of circulators reported has skyrocketed, with reports of circulators on college campuses, outside of grocery stores, outside Secretary of State offices, and even on private property inside of stores. Reports have also shown increased hostility and confrontation from circulators, the vast majority of whom are likely being paid per signature gathered.
As we continue to receive reports, we are constantly reviewing and revising our messaging and strategy. We have also leveraged this increase in reports into greater participation from our pro-democracy partner organizations who have stepped up to help cover rapid response to high traffic areas when circulators are spotted. Voters Not Politicians continues to be at the forefront of this effort and providing both volunteers and partners with the most accurate and upto-date information about the Americans for Citizen Voting campaign and strategy.
Beyond our work on the ground, VNP has also been reaching voters across media channels, using radio, podcasts, and social media. Kim recently shared a reel on this issue that was amplified by our partners at Indivisible Metro Detroit as “the best, most clear and complete explanation of the voter suppression petitions.” Mariah and Melinda also appeared on Community Focus, a local radio program broadcasting in Muskegon and the surrounding region to educate voters on the petitions (their appearance starts at 7:20 in this video).
In the last few months two things have become very clear about our work to protect Michigan voters’ ballot access:
- We are up against a very well-funded and well-resourced campaign that is not afraid to use aggressive tactics and misleading messaging to achieve their goals.
- The many is greater than the money. We have a huge grassroots network of democracy defenders who are passionate, motivated, and prepared to do the work to preserve Michigan elections and our current secure and accessible electoral system.
The only way to make sure tens of thousands of Michigan voters aren’t disenfranchised is to continue growing our coalition of volunteers and partners who can educate voters, monitor circulation efforts, and peacefully disrupt circulators in order to stop these petitions from making it to the 2026 ballot.