VoteSafe

Right now, there are two key ways you can help VoteSafe:

1. Sign up to volunteer: Voters Not Politicians is organizing safe, virtual volunteer opportunities across the state. From calling our state legislators to educating voters about the campaign, it’s going to take all of us working together to make sure voters can cast their votes safely this year. Sign up to volunteer here → votersnotpoliticians.com/volunteer 
2. Make a contribution to Voters Not Politicians: All of our volunteer efforts are virtual, which means we need to adopt and adapt to new technology and software to engage volunteers across the state. Support our grassroots advocacy efforts with a contribution today! Make a contribution here → votersnotpoliticians.com/donate

The COVID-19 pandemic is spreading across all 50 states. As of April 2020, there have been 1,000,000+ cases in the United States — more than in any other country in the world. COVID-19 presents a serious health risk because it is highly contagious and can cause serious illness or death, particularly among people who are 65 or older or people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions. Because there are not yet vaccines or treatments for COVID-19, the most effective ways to reduce the impact of the disease are social distancing and good hand hygiene. Top health officials at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases expect the COVID-19 pandemic to continue through the fall of 2020. 

In Wisconsin, lawmakers’ lack of planning and preparation leading up to its April 7 primary election caused widespread confusion, disruption, and fear as voters were forced to endure long lines in crowded polling locations that endangered their health and their communities. No voter should have to risk their life to vote.

We can put commonsense measures in place to protect Michigan voters in the August and November 2020 elections, but only if we act now. To “wait and see” or proceed with business as usual will cost lives. Automatically mailing every voter a ballot during the COVID-19 crisis will save lives.

In 2018, Michigan voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment that expanded voting rights and voting access (Proposal 3). This voter-initiated law provides for straight-ticket voting, automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, and no-reason absentee voting. These transformational reforms make voting much more accessible in our state. 

Under current laws, a voter must request an absentee ballot to cast their vote by mail. Then, a voter must return the absentee ballot to reach the clerk’s office before 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters can also drop their ballot off in person at their local clerk’s office or at a secure drop box if one is available, but most municipalities do not have drop boxes. 

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, we must expand upon Michigan's current voting system to ensure voters can cast their ballots safely:

• Every registered voter should automatically receive a ballot in the mail, without having to fill out and return an absentee ballot application 
• Voters should have their vote counted if their ballot is postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day
• Clerks should be provided the expanded authority and resources they need to count large numbers of mailed ballots securely and efficiently
• Every voter should have access to secure ballot drop boxes
• Clerks should increase their office hours and follow proper sanitation measures so voters are able to practice safe social distancing when registering or voting in person

Several states have operated vote-by-mail systems for years that are safe, secure, and fair. Michigan’s state government can and must act now to secure funding for technology, infrastructure, and training to ensure ballots are tracked, signatures are verified using a fair and transparent process, and votes are counted securely. 

Stanford University published a study on April 15, 2020, which found that vote by mail does not appear to favor any political party. According to the study: 

“We find that: (1) vote-by-mail does not appear to affect either party’s share of turnout; (2) vote-by-mail does not appear to increase either party’s vote share; and (3) vote-by-mail modestly increases overall average turnout rates, in line with previous estimates. All three conclusions support the conventional wisdom of election administration experts and contradict many popular claims in the media.”

VoteSafe builds on VNP’s Nights & Weekends project, and will consist of three primary components:

1. Provide education, encouragement, and pressure to state and local government to enact and fund the policies outlined above through legislation, executive action, and/or local ordinances
2. Identify politicians who support pro-voter legislation and hold accountable politicians who obstruct safe voting measures in 2020. You can find a list of current VoteSafe approved sitting legislators and state House candidates who support our VoteSafe campaign goals here.
3. Lead a robust, culturally competent public education campaign to build confidence in a statewide vote-by-mail system and encourage widespread support and participation

For more information about what Voters Not Politicians is doing now, please add your name to our newsletter list, and sign up soon for an upcoming virtual town hall.