From Eligibility to Engagement: Voter Mobilization in Michigan
Our voting system works best when everyone can participate.
Incarcerated or formerly incarcerated people and those impacted by the criminal legal system are among the most directly affected by the decisions that our elected officials make. For example, district attorneys prosecute their cases, lawmakers pass laws they are charged with breaking, sheriffs run the jails where they are confined, and judges preside over their cases. Not to mention the impact elected officials have on housing, education, and healthcare.
In Michigan, individuals who are in jail awaiting arraignment, trial, or sentencing are eligible to register to vote and vote by absentee ballot, and people with past convictions can vote once they are no longer actively serving a sentence in jail or prison. People on probation or parole are also eligible to vote. Unfortunately, misinformation, uncertainty, and fear of retribution can still keep eligible voters away from the ballot.
Having the right to vote, knowing you have it, and exercising it are not the same thing.
Free Our Vote is working in partnership with the ACLU Fund of Michigan, Michigan Voices, and the Voting Access for All Coalition (VAAC), to help close the gap between being eligible to vote and actually having the information and support to cast a ballot. This collaboration is a prime example of how national organizations can effectively support the work local organizations are doing.
This year, Free Our Vote identified a list of Michiganders with past convictions who are eligible to vote and shared it with partner organizations that are on the ground in Michigan. VAAC then reaches out to these potential voters, informs them of their eligibility, and supports them in participating in the voting process. By pairing Free Our Vote’s data infrastructure with VAAC’s deep experience in voting rights, coalition building, and community outreach, we are working toward something simple but powerful: making sure more people hear the message that you are eligible to vote and your voice belongs in our democracy.
VAAC understands the importance of reaching voters where they are with trusted messengers. That is why they employ people who are formerly incarcerated, or otherwise impacted by incarceration, to contact people about registering to vote and casting their ballots. It is extremely powerful and easier to relate to someone who has similar experience with the criminal legal system.
In addition to informing voters of their rights and options, VAAC works to connect the dots for voters by having meaningful conversations about why their vote matters and what change it can create. Their team works to address the needs of the people they connect with, providing services like expungement clinics, employment preparation, and housing and utility assistance. Addressing people’s needs frees up space for them to think about things like voting. By pairing education and support services, VAAC supports people impacted by the criminal legal system to truly become engaged citizens.
Free Our Vote and the Voting Access for All Coalition are dedicated to ensuring that every eligible voter knows their rights and has the opportunity to participate in decisions that impact their lives, families, and communities because they know that our voting system works best when everyone can participate. Make your plan to cast your ballot on or before Tuesday, November 3.
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