Voting Engagement is focused on building a bloc of voters that includes those who have felony convictions and the people in their support system. This bloc will vote on a regular basis to more effectively influence legislation and create much-needed change within our state.
Currently, many in this group are not politically involved. It may be that they were convicted of a felony and do not realize that, in Michigan, their voting rights were restored upon their release from custody. It may be, that like many people in the United States, they do not understand how politics and voting impacts their daily lives. It may be both.
Emergent Justice will empower this group through:
- trainings and social media campaigns explaining topics such as:
- voting rights (see the video below).
- how the decisions elected officials make impact mass incarceration and mass policing,
- how to analyze candidates so their vote is an informed one,
- how to hold elected officials accountable, and
- the ways in which voter engagement involves more than electing local, state and national officials .
- focused voter registration drives
We will also seek out partnerships and alliances with other organizations fighting voter suppression and create opportunities for this bloc of voters to be involved in that work.