A weekly, non-partisan web-series about Michigan Elections

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Weekly sessions will be held through November and feature department staff and experts discussing a range of non-partisan election topics including helpful voter how-tos, a deep-dive into how Michigan elections are run, and tips for how voters and partners can help prepare their communities for election season. Seats to the live sessions are limited. Select the links below to sign-up to attend, or to submit a question for our hosts to answer live on the call. A replay recording will be available after the call.

Events and opportunities to mark the January 6 Insurrection

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The first anniversary of the victory of democracy over autocracy (or worse) on January 6th will take place on Thursday of this week. If you have not already made plans to commemorate January 6th, check out Defend Democracy’s website, which lists hundreds of in-person and virtual events. Speaker Pelosi has arranged for a series of events in Washington D.C., including a moment of silence in the House, remarks by President Biden and Vice-President Harris.

CNN will host a two-hour special at 8 pm EST that will include live interviews with members of the House and the Capitol Police about their experiences on January 6.

Perspective on the Freedom to Vote Act and the Filibuster

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The Freedom to Vote Act remains in suspended animation in the Senate as Joe Manchin has failed to convince a single Republican to support the Act. The situation will not change unless and until the Senate carves out an exception to the filibuster for voting rights legislation. A group of scholars representing dozens of universities has published a statement urging the Senate to modify the filibuster to pass the Freedom to Vote Act.

Michigan Resistance: Four years of fighting for Progressive causes

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Michigan Resistance began in the dark days following Trump’s victory, energized by the disappointment of Progressives. During that lame-duck session from November to December in 2016, when Republicans in the State Houses felt empowered by Trump’s victory to pass conservative, even right-wing bills, a band of Progressives met with Democrats in the State Houses who kept them informed of the legislative goings-on which needed protest. Armed with a list of 20,000 Democratic voters from Hillary Clinton’s campaign, these Progressives called them to ask them to call their state senators and representatives, remembers Margaret Schankler.

Georgia Fund Donations Request

How best to help in Georgia

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The BEST way to elect progressives is to invest in the grassroots organizing groups that are on the ground 24/7/365 doing the work to go beyond platitudes and instead are achieving public policy wins for normally marginalized people at the local, state and national levels.

They also help these people organize themselves so that they can advocate for their own priorities — a novel concept— which leads to them BEING and, importantly, FEELING empowered. This leads to increased trust in institutions and the political system, which in turn grows participation and voter turnout.

How my Uncle Elbert helped to change the voting history of Haywood County, Tennessee (with VIDEO)

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In an unexpected “win” for voting rights and justice, it was discovered recently Haywood County, Tennessee, was overwhelmingly blue in a sea of red. Historians and analysts (and myself) think there might be a correlation with the dark past and conciliatory and healing efforts that have taken place in Haywood County in recent years.

Change only happens when people wanted something different. My Uncle Elbert was prescribed a life that he didn’t want to take “as is” so he fought for something different and better for himself and the people he loved. The residents in Haywood County have made a statement, through their votes, that they want something different for Haywood County and America.