Hi Team,
While we wait for court action on the redraw of Michigan House districts and prepare for the Michigan Senate redraw to begin, I’d like to share some recent news headlines and how they connect with our pro-democracy work in Michigan.
The Headlines
1. Right-wing activists quietly challenging voter registrations in battleground states including Michigan, New York Times, March 3, 2024
This week the New York Times published an investigation that found right-wing extremists across the country have been pressuring local election officials to remove large numbers of voters from the voter rolls, including in Michigan. These partisan extremists are basing their attacks on conspiracy theories that stem from the election denialism movement.
This is why it is critical to our democracy to call out election deniers at every level and at every opportunity. From clerk engagement to legislative advocacy, VNP is using every tool at our disposal to fight for voters.
And here’s more troubling news from Michigan Advance: Report classifies one-fifth of Michigan Legislature as ‘election deniers’.
2. Michigan defends bloated voter rolls with 625,000 cancellations pending, Bridge Michigan, March 6, 2024
In related news, Bridge Michigan reported on Wednesday that the Secretary of State’s office will be “monitoring any activity in the voter file that looks unusual to make sure that there aren’t undue challenges that are being processed without the voter getting their legally entitled protections,” according to Michigan Elections Director Jonathan Brater. Additionally, a federal court recently dismissed a lawsuit against the Secretary of State that argued “she wasn’t doing enough to cancel registrations after voters died.” The judge ruled instead that “federally collected data shows that Michigan is consistently among the most active states in the United States in canceling the registrations of deceased individuals.”
3. Why some voters jumped on the chance to vote early in-person, while others passed, Votebeat Michigan, February 26, 2024
Michigan just completed our first statewide election with early in-person voting! According to the Secretary of State, over 78,000 voters took advantage of the new voting option, and Votebeat spoke to Michiganders from across the political spectrum to understand why some people chose early voting and others didn’t. “Their motivations varied, but some did not use the option because they had not heard of early in-person voting, and others did not understand the difference between that and absentee voting. Still others knew of the new option but wanted to vote on the day of the primary because they enjoy the civic action.”
This all lines up with what we’ve heard from voters, election administrators, and other voting rights organizations. In order for more Michiganders to take advantage of early voting, we know that more public education is needed about the process and how to access it. Our volunteers have already given presentations on the changes from Proposal 22-2 to more than 400 voters, and we’ll continue to spread the word on voting options throughout 2024.
What’s Next
- VNP is preparing to engage Detroiters in the next phase of the court-ordered redraw of state senate districts. If you live in Michigan Senate districts 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, or 11, the MICRC needs to hear your voice when they start redrawing those districts. Stay tuned for updates on this matter!
- Voters Not Politicians is introducing Democracy Academy for its second year. In 2024 we’re offering a set of community workshops to empower voters to engage their local governments and help enact positive changes in their communities. Democracy Academy 101, the first in a six part series, will be held via Zoom on March 20 at 6pm. Sign up here and please share this virtual event with your contacts.
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