Voters Not Politicians was one of the first groups in Michigan to start organizing voters against “documentary proof of citizenship” (DPOC) proposals being pushed at the state and federal levels.
Since the spring, we have not only mobilized hundreds of volunteers, and directly educated tens of thousands of would-be signers, we’ve also spearheaded a coalition of organizations working in tandem to amplify our messaging across the state.
Our partners represent the vast geographic and demographic diversity of Michigan. They include 25 Demos, 4 Michigan, ACLU of MI, All Voting is Local Action, APIA Vote, Civic Empowerment Coalition, Clean Water Action, Common Cause Michigan, Detroit Disability Power, Disability Action, Engage Michigan, Equality MI, Fair Elections Center, Indivisible Metro Detroit, Jews for a Secular Democracy, Michigan Country, Michigan United Action, Michigan Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network, Michigan Voices, Miigwech Inc, MI Poder, National Council of Jewish Women, National Network for Arab American Communities, Progress Michigan, Promote the Vote, Rising Voices, United Way of Southeastern MI, Voting Access for All Coalition, and Vote Riders.
Coalition members can efficiently integrate DPOC content into their existing outreach programs by sharing resources like messaging guidance, flyers and designs, social media content, and field infrastructure.
Together with our coalition, VNP activated past clerk engagement relationships, reaching out to over 30 local clerks to encourage them to support resolutions opposing the “Americans for Citizen Voting” petition to their respective Board of Commissioners. These efforts also included meetings with both the Michigan Association of County Clerks (MACC) and the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks (MAMC) to push for the organizations to take a public stand against the measure.
The coalition is prioritizing creating meaningful educational content focusing on the voices of real voters. Together with a small subgroup of partners, Voters Not Politicians hosted the Denied at the Ballot Box Virtual Town Hall, to educate and prepare attendees to connect impacts from DPOC voting restrictions to their own voting power and the real-life policy consequences of diluting the power of voters. We followed up with an in-person community storytelling event, “Your Story. Your Power. Your Vote.”, where the coalition captured professional footage of voters sharing their own stories. The coalition turned footage of voters from the event into poignant digital stories, such as this video focused on the impacts to married women and this one that focuses on our rights and freedoms as Americans.
Voters Not Politicians also launched a new communications tactic, sub-granting to independent content creators to help spread pro-voter messaging focused on the DPOC petitions. By uplifting the voice of one of our own volunteer leaders, we are reaching audiences we might not otherwise interact with.
Throughout this process, VNP brought more organizations into the coalition, and amplified the voices of the voters who would be most affected by the DPOC restrictions. We are proud of the work we’ve accomplished so far, we are proud of how well our message has resonated with voters, and we are proud of how our coalition came together as a united front to fight voter suppression.
We know that this fight will continue well into 2026. The supporters of these anti-voter petitions are very well-funded, giving them a strong advantage. But we also know that the power of the many is greater than the money. Voters Not Politicians’ volunteer army, mobilizing in tandem with this statewide grassroots coalition, will continue to fight (and win) for the good of all Michigan voters.