On September 28, 2020, the Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced a target date of October 5, 2020, to conclude 2020 Census self-response and field data collection operations. The Commerce Department announced the speedup last month, two weeks after President Trump took a second swing at the problem of counting noncitizens, ordering the department to compile state-by-state estimates of unauthorized immigrants to exclude them from reapportionment calculations.

Sep242020

The long struggle of the suffragists: The Woman’s Hour – A Review

Newsletter HighlightsBy Leslie September 24, 2020 Leave a comment

Check out a review of the new book “Woman’s Hour” by Elaine Weiss. Her thoroughly-researched recounting of the machinations in the eleventh hour of the ratification of the Amendment documents how close the fight for the vote for women nearly failed.

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Sep92020

Nearly 11,000 ballots rejected in August Primaries – Avoid rejection!!

Newsletter HighlightsBy Leslie September 9, 2020 Leave a comment

According to the Michigan Secretary of State website, there were close to 11,000 rejected ballots in the August primary election. More than 80% were due to signature verification issues or late arrival. Make sure that your vote is counted this November!

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Aug132020

Whose ballot is more likely to be rejected?

In The Spotlight, Newsletter HighlightsBy Leslie August 13, 2020 Leave a comment

Voting by mail has been championed — rightly, experts say — as the safest way to participate in the 2020 election while the nation remains under threat from the coronavirus. However, voting by mail disproportionately disenfranchises voters of color.

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Jul302020

Tips for voting in the August 4 Election!

In The Spotlight, Newsletter HighlightsBy Leslie July 30, 2020 Leave a comment

Since Election Day is only a few days away, it’s a great idea to drop off your ballot rather than mail it. Find your clerk! Go to Ballotpower.org or the Michigan Secretary of State’s office website to locate your clerk’s office.

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Jul162020

Mail-In Voting: The new bullet in the voting process

Newsletter HighlightsBy Leslie July 16, 2020 Leave a comment

The next battleground in the war between Republicans and Democrats for control of the electoral map is absentee voting. As increasing numbers of voters eligible to vote by mail, the pressures created on officials by this expanded process can lead to increasing numbers of ballots rejected.

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Civics Deck – The United States House of Representatives

Civics Deck, Newsletter HighlightsBy Leslie July 16, 2020 Leave a comment

Today’s Civics Lesson is on the United States House of Representatives. The United States Congress is made up of two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate. Members of the House of Representatives are elected for two-year terms representing a specifics congressional district within a state. The number of congressional districts allocated to each state is based on populations measured by the US Census.

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Jul22020

PEG Civics Deck: Senators

Civics Deck, Newsletter HighlightsBy Leslie July 2, 2020 Leave a comment

NEW! Civics Deck from Protectors of Equality in Government. As you review your ballot, you will find that one of our two Michigan Senate seats is open for election. In this first installment, we share what a United States Senator does.

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Jun252020

Amid threats and political pushback, public health officials are leaving their posts

CORONAVIRUS, Newsletter HighlightsBy Leslie June 25, 2020 Leave a comment

Public health workers, already underfunded and understaffed, are confronting waves of protest at their homes and offices in addition to pressure from politicians who favor a faster reopening.

More than 20 health officials have resigned, retired or been fired in recent weeks “due to conditions related to having to enforce and stand up for strong public health tactics during this pandemic” states Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief executive of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.’

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