Michigan Voices: 2025 Strategic Goals

Mission: Educate, engage, activate, and protect underrepresented communities to ensure equitable access to the ballot box and the democratic process.

Vision: A Michigan where historically marginalized voices lead in shaping a just and inclusive democracy.

2024 Impact Highlights:

Coordinated 78 grassroots partners through our integrated voter engagement program.

Achieved significant voter outreach: 405K+ doors knocked, 5.7M+ phone calls, 1.7M+ texts, 204K+ conversations.

Educated voters on new rights including
pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds, the permanent mail ballot list, and in-person early voting.

2025 Key Goals & Activities

2025 Key Goals & Activities

Democracy & Election Protection

GOAL: Improve access and continue to modernize Michigan's elections.

    • Oppose legislation that would require voters to provide documented proof of citizenship to register to vote or update their voter registration.  

    • Increase capacity of training, tools, and technology for historically disenfranchised voting segments across the state.

    • Coordinate municipal election protection programs with partners across the state.

    • Educate voters about what is on their ballot for the 2025 municipal election through MyBallotMyPower.og.

    • Educate voters about the 2026 Constitutional Convention ballot proposal.

    • Secure, accurate, and accessible elections.

DATA DEPARTMENT

Data Fellowship

GOAL: Develop skilled data specialists for civic engagement.

    • Comprehensive training on data tools, targeting, messaging, digital programs, field scaling, and evaluation. 

    • Improved data utilization and program effectiveness by placing fellows with partners and building network. 

VoteGuard & VoteGuard Live

GOAL: Strengthen election protection coordination and rapid response.

    • Utilizing VoteGuard for poll location tracking and VoteGuard Live for poll coverage and issue reporting.

    • Improved election monitoring and issue resolution.

DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Development Cohort 2025

GOAL: Enhance partner fundraising capacity.

    • Monthly virtual training, in-person workshop (May 15, Detroit). Focus on diversified funding, major donors, individual giving.

    • Enhanced financial stability and fundraising proficiency.

INTEGRATED VOTER ENGAGEMENT

Re-engage 2024 Absent Voters

GOAL: Increase civic education and voter participation of disengaged voters in targeted areas.

    • We are interested in talking to voters who had voted in one of the two previous cycles, 2020 or 2022, but chose to sit out in 2024 and learning their reasons for not voting. We plan to test if we can identify the reasons for their disengagement and reaffirm the importance of their vote in municipal elections through civic education and deep canvassing methods. The initial door knock will be followed up by phone calls, digital, and mail to the targeted universe.

    • The program will be implemented by 5 Michigan Voice partners in Detroit, Western Wayne County, Flint, Holland, and Pontiac

    • Increased civic education and voter participation in the 2025 elections and improve future consistent voting behavior.

Municipal Elections

GOAL: Drive voter turnout in 2025 municipal elections.

    • Regrants, civic education with Great Lakes Political Academy (GLPA), coordinated GOTV campaigns in Pontiac, Southfield, Livonia, Garden City, Detroit, Sterling Heights, Westland, Downriver Detroit communities, Ann Arbor, and Dearborn.

    • Increased voter turnout in off-year elections.

INTEGRATED VOTER ENGAGEMENT

Civic Education

GOAL: Increase civic knowledge and participation.

    • Partnership with GLPA, municipal election education.

    • Increased voter knowledge and participation.

Voter Registration

GOAL: Increase BIPOC and youth voter registration.

    • Census data targeting, high school pre-registration, My Ballot, My Power campaign, Register MI Vote app pilot.

    • Increased voter registration rates.

COMMUNICATIONS & COALITIONS

Amplifying Key Reproductive Justice Issues

GOAL: Protect and advance reproductive rights and Black maternal health.

    • Narrative change initiatives, Reproductive Justice Workgroup, resources and training, health equity policy advocacy, public education, maternal and infant health advocacy.

    • Increased awareness and support for reproductive justice and health equity.

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