The Headlines
Big updates from one of Voters Not Politicians’ major campaigns this year: we have verified reports of documentary proof of citizenship petitions in the field, and of how voters are responding to these petitions.
The TL;DR: because of our efforts, voters know these petitions threaten their voting rights, they are asking circulators smart questions that the circulators can’t answer, and many voters are declining to sign the petitions.
This is good news for voting rights in Michigan. It’s good news for the pro-democracy movement. It shows that our work to combat anti-voter efforts are working.
Here’s how we did it:
The Details
- Voters Not Politicians has been training and organizing volunteers to combat the threat of documentary proof of citizenship mandates since March.
- 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 before. We laid out the different threats facing voters, specifically in Michigan, including multiple ballot petitions, a state House resolution, and proposed federal legislation that would overrule our own state constitution.
- 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.
- We also mobilized our grassroots citizen lobbying program, Dial for Democracy, and volunteers across the state contacted their state and federal lawmakers to tell them to reject all attempts to restrict voting rights or undermine Michigan’s strong election systems. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, we saw over a 100% increase in Dial for Democracy contact reports filed by our volunteers.
- 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.
- Voters Not Politicians continues to host regular 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.
- 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).
- One volunteer directly engaged a paid circulator and learned that a) signature collection hasn’t been going well because b) many voters are already aware of the petitions and are declining to sign.
- Through the Voter Suppression Petition Spotter Hotline (vnp.vote/spotted), we’ve been able to implement 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.
- Voters Not Politicians’ collective efforts over the past six months are working. We laid the groundwork by training our volunteers before circulation efforts started, and because of that we’ve inoculated potential signers against disinformation driving these petitions.
What’s Next
Because of the wide public support citizen-only voting has, as well as the deceptive messaging tactics we’ve already seen these campaigns deploying, we know that if either of the “documentary proof of citizenship” petitions makes it on to the ballot, they will most likely pass and tens of thousands of Michiganders (and potentially more!) will lose access to their constitutional right to vote.
That is why it is so important to take action right now to directly educate voters, monitor circulation efforts, and peacefully disrupt circulators in order to stop these petitions from putting documentary proof of citizenship on the ballot. Voters Not Politicians will continue leading the charge to protect voting rights in collaboration with our partners through direct action, education, and peaceful disruption of petition circulation.