The Headlines
Anti-voter lawmakers in Michigan are continuing their push to restrict voting access for eligible Michigan citizens, and Voters Not Politicians is ramping up our efforts to stop them.
Our volunteers are eager to oppose this bill and we are using that momentum to create unique ways for volunteers to lobby their elected officials. Our legislative advocacy team is in constant contact with their state and federal elected officials to ensure voter suppression legislation like HJRB and the SAVE Act do not get passed.
The Details
- To recap, HJR B (Michigan) and the SAVE Act/H.R. 22 (Federal) would require documentary proof of citizenship, creating chaos in Michigan elections while blocking eligible Michigan voters from voting. In Michigan alone, this would disenfranchise at minimum tens of thousands of eligible voters. If passed, either of these bills would drastically transform the electorate.
- Last week, VNP Programs Director Mariah Bryant testified against HJR B, asserting that, “It is not the job of our government to place unnecessary barriers between voters and the ballot box.”
- On Tuesday, the House Election Integrity Committee voted along party lines to report House Joint Resolution B out of committee and to the full House for a vote.
- As a reminder, this year the House Republican majority decided to rename the House Elections committee to “Election Integrity”, an ominous change that reflects the destructive anti-voter sentiment which was fully displayed in Tuesday’s vote.
- Before the vote, VNP was able to raise the alarm and mobilize volunteers through our Dial for Democracy alert system to immediately contact their lawmakers and urge them to oppose the measure. All VNP Pro-Voter Approved representatives on the committee voted against the measure.
- Voters Not Politicians is continuing to activate our grassroots citizen lobbyists to engage both state and federal legislators about the dangers of the SAVE Act and HJR B.
- In the last two months, we’ve seen a marked increase in new participants for our Dial for Democracy action alert program, which connects volunteers to their state lawmakers and provides background information and scripts to facilitate conversations on urgent democracy issues.
- Our Legislative Liaison volunteers have been in constant contact with their state and federal elected officials at in-district events to ensure voter suppression legislation like HJRB and the SAVE Act do not get passed.
- We are also educating the public about the dangers of these policies. On Thursday, March 27, we will host a virtual Stop the SAVE Act Town Hall. During the event, we will share information about both the SAVE Act and HJR B, as well as directing attendees to concrete actions they can take with VNP to fight back against these policies and other threats to our democracy.
- VNP is planning Stop the SAVE Act rallies across the state in a Day of Action that will make it clear where voters stand on this issue, and show the power of collective action in protecting our democracy.
What’s Next
Michiganders across the political spectrum are now facing increased attacks on their voting rights from politicians at both the state and federal level. With the support of our volunteers and partners, Voters Not Politicians is going to continue to stand with voters and fight back against the attacks.
We are hosting urgent town halls to raise awareness, holding rallies across Michigan to build momentum, and recruiting and training more volunteers who are motivated to take direct action. Together, we will make sure that Michigan elections remain secure, modern, and accessible for all voters.
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