This week in “How corporations try to silence the will of voters” we have a two-fer: “Protect MI Free Speech” filed an emergency appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court to try to block MMOP from the ballot, and corporate lobbyists could be working overtime to convince the legislature to weaken MMOP by adopting it now–which leaves it unprotected by the supermajority required to amend it if voters pass it on the ballot in November.

So, business as usual unfortunately.

The Details

The Supreme Court filing from Protect MI Free Speech is simple. As we’ve said all along, we expected this because it is the opposition’s easiest and cheapest path to trying to stop this initiative before facing Michigan voters at the ballot box.

The corporate coalition’s argument is the same one that they tried before the Board of State Canvassers last month, and the Board already rejected those baseless claims against MMOP’s petitions. Now, we are confident the Michigan Supreme Court will as well.

We won’t allow massive, billion-dollar corporations to undermine the more than half a million Michigan voters who signed the petition to rein in pay-to-play politics in Lansing.

That’s also why we’re now mobilizing our army of volunteers across the state to call their state representatives and senators and tell them not to adopt the initiative in the legislature.

As a statutory initiative the legislature is entitled to 40 days to either pass Mop Up Michigan themselves or let it go to the ballot for voters to decide. If the legislature adopts the language of the initiative and passes it as legislation this session, instead of allowing voters to pass it on the ballot, all it takes is a simple majority vote in the future to gut it.

Adopting MMOP through the legislature right now jeopardizes the work we’ve done to get this far. When MMOP is passed by voters on the November ballot, it would take a 3/4 majority vote in both chambers to amend the legislation. Voters passing MMOP better protects it from the corrupting corporate interests that have poisoned our state politics, which means it has a lasting chance to make a transformative difference in Michigan politics.

The corporations that want to maintain the status quo have every incentive to convince lawmakers to adopt the legislation so that it’s easily amendable in the future.

But Voters Not Politicians has our own force of grassroots lobbyists - everyday citizens who are right now putting in calls to their electeds in Lansing and urging them to pledge not to take action and instead send the Mop Up Michigan initiative straight to the ballot and give voters the final say. Together with the entirety of the Mop Up Michigan coalition, we are working right now to prove once again that the many can (and will) overpower the money!

We know we have legislative champions in Lansing that will work with us closely to make sure voters get to decide this in November, and we are putting in the work right now to make sure they have what they need to keep their caucuses holding strong against attempts to weaken MMOP by adopting it.

What’s Next

The legislature’s forty day window to act on MMOP ends the first week in September, but we’re not waiting to see what might happen. We’re showing Lansing that the people’s voices matter in this fight, and it’s good politics to trust voters.

As politicians across the state are looking to the November election and trying to figure out their strategies post-primary, Voters Not Politicians has already found the winning strategy. We’re going after corruption and the corrosive power of money in politics with real solutions that work for voters. Corporate funded lawyers and lobbyists won’t stand in our way.

Onwards,

Christy McGillivray

Executive Director

Voters Not Politicians

Ps Check out some of this week’s VNP press coverage

• MLive Business-backed group challenges approval of ‘money out of politics’ ballot proposal August 5, 2026

• The Detroit News Michigan Supreme Court asked to block ‘money out of politics’ proposal August 5, 2026

• Michigan Public Michigan Supreme Court is asked to block money-out-of-politics question August 6, 2026

• Detroit News Top of Democratic ticket backs plan to ban donations from state-linked giants August 7, 2026

Statement attributable to Christy McGillivray, Executive Director of Voters Not Politicians

By weakening Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act this morning, the Supreme Court effectively ruled that all gerrymandering (partisan and racial) is now legal.

This ruling will change the results of future elections. By erasing federal protections for minority voters, politicians and political parties can now draw maps that guarantee wins for their own candidates and effectively nullify the power of all voters to choose their own representatives at the congressional, state, and local level. This ruling will have consequences not just on elections, but on the policy that affects all of our lives, as voters lose the ability to hold elected officials accountable at the ballot box.

Gerrymandering silences the voices of all voters, not just minority and marginalized communities. The Supreme Court just made it legal for politicians to pick and choose their voters, and now they have the power to weaponize racial bias to do so.

We are likely to see another wave of racial gerrymandering, just like we saw a wave of partisan gerrymandering weaponized to give power to political parties and take choices away from voters. And the losers of the gerrymandering wars will always be American voters.

This decision is not just an anti-democratic partisan power-grab; it is a battle over what America is as a nation, and who we are as citizens of this country. We know the majority of Michiganders want an inclusive democracy that allows all of us to have a voice in shaping our communities. This decision from SCOTUS is a direct attack on that, and we must be honest about what we are up against.

SCOTUS’s decision today undermines the sovereign power of voters across the country. This decision is a part of multiple coordinated attacks on the foundations of our democracy in service of consolidating wealth and power in the hands of a few, to the detriment of all Americans. We won’t let this trend prevail, and we will fight back to restore the fundamental sovereignty of voters in our country. All political power is inherent in the people.

Janai’s podcast is I Want to Change the World and her newsletter is available through Kit!

The headlines of this week are corruption and campaign finance filings. Yay.

I really didn’t think I could be shocked 9 months into this, but the recent news that the President ordered his personal defense attorneys, (who also now serve in the Department of Justice in a separate mind-bending conflict of interest), to directly pay him hundreds of millions of OUR taxpayer dollars managed to revive the shock-response in my nervous system.

Of course we also have our own homegrown corruption scandals, as well as our own problems with shady political spending.

The Details

• News recently broke that Lee Chatfield’s former aide is going to testify against him in the ongoing corruption trial tied with his tenure as the former Speaker of the Michigan State House.

• This week we also saw campaign finance filings from the two ballot question committees (BQCs) currently trying to undermine our voting rights. (Find the full reports here.)

  • The Committee to Protect Voters Rights seems to be almost dormant, bringing in only $125 over the three month reporting period.

  • By contrast, Americans for Citizen Voting reported almost $3.6 million in contributions. $3.5 million of that came from Restoration of America, a conservative national special interest group that is also behind VoteRef, a website which has been used by election deniers to contest election results in over 18 states, including Michigan.

• And speaking of “we really need to get big money out of politics,” Protect MI Free Speech, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce BQC that is opposing MMOP, received $15,000 each from Consumers Energy and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

  • CMS and BCBSM are two of the largest corporate contributors to Michigan state politics, and our petition would ban both from making hundreds of thousands in direct campaign contributions each cycle.

• We know that money in politics is the core reason why popular policies with bipartisan support die in Lansing. As Meaghan Winter and Rajan Narang recently discussed, corruption is an economic issue. The legalized corruption of Michigan’s weak campaign finance laws has driven too many legislators from both parties to prioritize rich donors instead of delivering for Michiganders; on housing, healthcare, education, safe drinking water, utility regulation, and so much more.

What’s Next

Americans losing faith in democracy is heartbreaking. But it is understandable. An entire generation has grown up thinking that failing schools, the “gig” economy, unaffordable housing, skyrocketing utility bills, failing water systems, flooded streets, medical bankruptcies, mounting debt, and corrupt politicians enabling all of the above are just…inevitable.

But there is a solution! We know that when democracies deliver for voters, voters will fight for their democracy. That is why it’s so important for everyone reading this to sign up to collect signatures with Michiganders for Money Out of Politics! We must use our direct-democracy ballot initiative process to take Lansing back for all Michiganders.

Getting money out of politics is the first step towards reviving our democracy, so it can deliver for voters, not just mega-donors. Join us! The clock is ticking and we need YOU to collect signatures to get us across the finish line!

Onwards!
Christy McGillivray
Voters Not Politicians

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Right now, we are living through an incredibly alarming authoritarian power grab, which is directly tied to the breakdown of federal, state, and local institutions that were meant to check these horrific abuses of power. The elites are not going to save us – from mainstream media corporations caving to violations of our first amendment free speech rights for the sake of making millions in huge corporate mergers, to law firms capitulating and cowing to Trump as he repeatedly and brazenly violates the law, to universities changing their curriculums to lie about our history to make Trump happy. These elite entities and the very wealthy people at their respective helms do not have what it takes to stand up to Trump and MAGA.

Having said that, I truly believe that there is a path out of this, and we need energized young leaders with us on that path, and leading on that path. Jeremy and Gage are two examples of the kind of young leaders I’m talking about.

Their podcast, Head in the Office, strikes a chord with me because it centers people in politics who otherwise might feel disillusioned with our democracy and mainstream political news sources. Jeremy articulated their goal to “create something that felt more approachable, felt more open, and felt less immediately tied to the establishment that everybody hates.” This is crucial. We can’t expect people to engage with democracy and work to protect it if entry points are intimidating, detached, unrelatable, or feel compromised.

Gage’s concept of “moral clarity” resonated deeply with me. He explained it as wanting “people in politics... to go out there and tell it like it is.” He highlighted the frustration with leaders who are unwilling to “speak up and use their voice, which is cheap and easy and free to do.” This lack of conviction from politicians is a significant barrier to engagement, especially for younger people, and HIITO’s direct communication approach is the antidote for the audience they’re reaching.

We touched on how each of these young men first got interested in politics and came to the realization that many of the societal problems they experience are born from policy choices. Gage’s experience during COVID, when massive amounts of wealth were further condensed into fewer households, underscores how critical it is for young people to make the connection between their struggles and the political decisions that leaders make. Jeremy’s college studies on U.S. foreign policy and “the atrocities that our country committed” also illustrate how a deeper understanding of our complicated history can motivate young people to take action today.

Our discussion about using humor to tackle serious issues was particularly insightful. I confess I am way too serious about fascism, which is not necessarily the best approach, and I know it is just as likely to stress people out as it is to motivate them to get involved. Or as Gage put it, “Some things are just so absurd and so awful that just getting in doom and gloom about it, going full doomer, just doesn’t feel productive.”

Jeremy agreed with that sentiment and pointed out that while the current administration and their wannabe corporate oligarch tagalongs want to be taken seriously, they are incredibly incompetent and unqualified for their roles, which means “laughing at them and taking a humorous approach when it’s warranted, is a powerful tool.” This approach of mocking the powerful while showing compassion for their victims is a nuanced and effective strategy for communication.

I like to ask all of my guests to share their definition of democracy, and Jeremy’s concise answer was perfect: “I think democracy, pretty simply, is just when the governed govern, right? Like, when the people that are subjects of a political system are themselves the ones that run the political system.” Gage added to this, emphasizing accountability. This simple yet profound understanding is what we at Voters Not Politicians strive for through structural reform.

The conversation about what a functioning democracy would look like in Michigan brought up tangible examples. Gage immediately pointed to lower DTE bills, a sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with, especially given their guaranteed rate of return from the state legislature. Jeremy expanded on this, envisioning improved public services like roads and libraries, and even universal healthcare, which he believes is entirely possible if our democracy actually reflected the will of the people instead of just campaign donors.

Finally, I ended our discussion by asking what each of them wished more people were talking about, and two key issues rose to the forefront: money in politics and immigration. Gage lamented that while people acknowledge corruption, it’s often a “thought-terminating cliché” rather than an actual discussion about how to change the system. Jeremy’s call to “reframe the debate that we have around immigration” and to “go out to bat for immigrants as a way to attack the wealthy” resonated deeply with my own belief that if we don’t punch up, they’re gonna get away with punching down.

This conversation reinforced my conviction that engaging young, energized leaders like Jeremy and Gage, who are willing to speak truth with moral clarity and a touch of humor, is essential for the future of our democracy. Their commitment to circulating petitions to get money out of politics is a testament to their dedication, and I’m excited to see the impact they will continue to make. If you aren’t already subscribed to HITO - check them out and support them, they’re doing great work in service of a better democracy.

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That deep dive into VNP’s well-researched and thorough information about the negative impact on Michigan elections – for both voters and our election officials – proved valuable when I spotted the Americans for Citizen Voting petition in the field a few weeks later at a local festival my husband and I attended.

Knowing I had little time to engage with the circulator as we stopped at the light at the intersection where he’d set up shop, I pointed to the hand-written sign propped up against his table and asked him why he was urging people to enact a strong voter ID law in Michigan when we already had one.

He launched into some statistics about “several hundred thousand fraudulent votes cast via the affidavit route in the 2024 election.”

I corrected him. “Votes cast by eligible voters who use the affidavit route are not fraudulent,” I said. “Per existing state law, they’re legal ballots.”

Then the light changed and I had to move on.

Even as I enjoyed the festival, I could never completely shake my sense of dread knowing that this circulator was out there collecting signatures. So I went back the next day hoping for an opportunity to have a more robust conversation with him.

When I found the circulator in the same spot the next day, I approached him again and struck up another conversation. I started by pointing out that he hadn’t indicated on the petition form whether he was a “volunteer” or “paid” circulator.When I asked, he confirmed he was a paid circulator, but he told me people are less inclined to listen to him if they know he’s a paid circulator.

The longer we talked, the more information he volunteered. He told me it hasn’t been easy to get signatures, and that I was not the first person to engage with him as I was. “People seem to have heard about this petition,” he said.

Like me, people often questioned him whether the petition is really about Voter ID . One (or more?) woman told him that this petition would likely make it more difficult for women, and other voters who had legally changed their name from that listed on their birth certificate, to provide adequate documentary proof of citizenship. One guy who said he was a lawyer examined the petition carefully and told him it would have a very negative impact on Michigan elections

As the circulator described each of these interactions, I responded by telling him the actual facts about Michigan’s elections. I described the strength of our current voter ID law in MI; emphasized the risk of disenfranchisement this initiative poses to eligible MI voters of all partisan affiliations; pointed to the unnecessary and costly creation of red tape for voters and election workers.

Many of the festivalgoers who passed by the table as I continued to engage with the circulator appeared to be listening; none stopped at his table.

Over the course of our conversation he began asking me questions – rather than sparring with me. He asked me to describe more fully how the petition would have a negative impact on Michigan elections.

Shortly before we parted ways he told me he might just “bag this job early” and go back home. And as I turned to go he extended his hand and thanked me for coming back to talk to him.

While I’ll never know for sure whether he folded up shop at the end of that day and stopped circulating that petition, I sense that to whatever extent my words landed, it was because I was able to convey my passion for and investment in the grassroots work of ensuring every eligible voter is able to cast their ballot.

Every chance we get to speak up is an opportunity to plant seeds. I’m convinced that every citizen who’d engaged with him before I did, who stopped to counter his arguments – and who declined to sign that petition – had also planted seeds that prepared the way for my arrival on the scene.

Signature collection for Money Out of Politics is picking up speed, and I’m excited to share with you all a quick highlight on one of our volunteers in Kalamazoo who has already passed the 500+ signature mark!

Plus, we’re moving forward with our community listening sessions that ask people across the state what they want from our government, and what role our government should have in our lives. I’ll share a little of what we heard from voters this week in Clarkston, MI!

The Details

MMOP Momentum in Kalamazoo

Juanita Butcher, a lifelong resident of Kalamazoo County, first got involved in VNP after the 2016 election because she saw the country heading in a direction that didn’t make sense to her. When she heard about a local movement to end gerrymandering she realized, “Well, I can’t fix the problems of the whole nation, but here in Michigan, there’s something I can do.”

Since first collecting signatures to end gerrymandering back in 2016, Juanita has stayed involved in the VNP movement, and now she’s once again got out her clipboard to help get money out of politics in Michigan.

On her own, Juanita has already collected almost 600 signatures for MMOP!

One of the reasons Juanita has been so successful in signature collection is her connection to VNP. When people in Kalamazoo see her Voters Not Politicians t-shirt, they are happy to approach and ask what policy she’s working on this time, because they already know they’ll probably want to sign!

Beyond her circulating work, Juanita is building connections and relationships across the greater region by engaging with local protests and meeting groups outside of Kalamazoo city proper because “In Kalamazoo, it’s preaching to the choir, it’s more important to get into red areas and be visible because they’re not getting the whole truth.”

Juanita is a shining example of a Voters Not Politicians (and MMOP) volunteer because she understands that this campaign is about respecting the promise of “We the people, not us the rich.”

Defining Freedom Community Conversations

VNP originated because of bad representation brought on by gerrymandered districts. On a state level, we succeeded in ensuring that vote share equals major party representation in the state legislature. When you zoom down to the district level, there are still some problems: minority voters who don’t reside in the same district don’t have the opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice; and both Republican voters in majority-Democratic cities and Democratic voters in majority-Republican rural districts report that they feel unrepresented.

Our mission is to build civic literacy, civic engagement, and political power for all Michiganders. There are many pathways to accomplishing those three tasks, but all three tasks are in service of just one goal: ensuring that our democracy actually improves the lives of Michiganders. All power is inherent in the people, but only if the people can exercise their political power.

VNP’s greatest asset is our committed and knowledgeable volunteers doing the work that improves democracy: collecting signatures, parsing complex topics, knocking on doors - whatever it takes! So this year, as distrust of our democracy grows, we decided that future planning needs to be deeply informed by what VNP activists identify as the biggest problems in government, and what volunteers think the government should be prioritizing instead.

That’s why we are conducting a series of workshops where we gather to discuss Michigan’s biggest problems and how to fix them. Our event this week turned up some expected responses: income inequality, big corporations hovering up mom and pop businesses, increasing polarization, and poor public transportation, to name just a few. All of these problems can and should be addressed more effectively by our state government.

This begs the question: why aren’t our elected officials delivering for their constituents? Surely our volunteers aren’t the first to ask for more trains and support for small businesses. We need a state government that is incentivized to prioritize the needs of everyday people, instead of the gridlock and chronic disinvestment we currently face. This is a structural problem, and VNP is just the right organization to take this on.

What’s Next

MMOP is picking up steam, and I’m excited to join volunteers out in the field this Saturday during the statewide No Kings protests. We plan on spending the whole day helping voters understand the direct connection between corrupting money in politics and a government that delivers record corporate profits for the mega-rich at the direct expense of fixing things that help everyday people.

We’re also going to continue having these kinds of conversations in more Defining Freedom community events, including two next week in Troy and Detroit.

One important point Jeff made early on was a correction to his professional bio: “I no longer help elect Republicans, because right now, they’ve gone a little off the rails, and I think that’s the one thing we want to talk about here is this alliance that many Americans have that transcend partisanship.” This set the tone for a candid discussion about the current state of his former party and our country’s democracy as a whole.

Jeff and I discussed the definition of democracy, and I shared my perspective that democracy is when “the people that have the most at stake and the most to lose have some sort of pathway to influence policies affecting them, and that there is accountability for people in power from the people that are governed by that power.” Jeff, drawing on his background from MSU’s James Madison College, spoke about the Federalist Papers and the founders’ fear of tyrannical government, whether by a ruler or a tyranny of the majority. He emphasized that in a democracy the rights of the government come from the citizenry, not the other way around.

Or as we like to say at Voters Not Politicians, “All political power is inherent in the people.”

Jeff articulated the current crisis with a stark observation: “We are in a period of extra constitutional, extra-statutory ruling, rather than governing. And it should alarm everybody.”

Jeff traces the roots of this current crisis all the way back to the “deal with the devil” that Republicans made in the wake of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Act in the 1960s, the Southern strategy. He also pointed to the rise of evangelical influence in the Republican Party, shifting it from a secular, business-oriented party to one focused on culture warfare.

We also discussed the role of Republican party leadership, contrasting former Michigan Governor George Romney’s passionate commitment to civil rights and his willingness to confront the John Birch Society within the Republican Party. Jeff noted that Michigan was, in many ways, a precursor to the rise of the MAGA movement, and that instead of principled resistance to the worst factions of the party, we now see the “John Birch Society morphed into even worse white nationalist, racist, Christian nationalist, sects within the party” that are now running the party.

He didn’t mince words: “I blame the cowards who know what’s wrong far more than the crazies.”

Our conversation moved to cover the escalating consolidation of power and abuse by the current federal administration. Unsurprisingly, and unfortunately, we both agree that the authoritarian playbook is predictable and we are likely going to see escalating state-sponsored, state-sanctioned, state-acted violence. But crucially, we also agree most Americans are good and kind people, who will, eventually, do the right thing for their neighbors and their country.

That’s where our conversation wrapped up, emphasizing the need for non-violent resistance and the demonstration of “profound power without corrupting violent power.” As Jeff put it, “All we have to say is enough. We’re not gonna do this anymore.”

My conversation with Jeff was a powerful reminder of the urgency of our work at Voters Not Politicians and the enduring fight for the ideals of freedom and liberty. It’s a fight that requires vigilance, courage, and a collective commitment to protecting the foundational principles of our democracy.

This week the “Gerrymandering Wars” continued to escalate, a clear sign that our democracy is on the ropes. As politicians double down on anti-democratic schemes, voters continue to make it clear that they want to see real solutions that represent true democracy. Our VNP Board Member, Dave Daley, recently placed this wonderful op-ed in the New York Times outlining the stakes of this fight and explaining how we got here.

In Michigan, fixing partisan gerrymandering became a rallying point that millions of Michiganders, from across the political spectrum, came together to support. If we truly want to fix the existential problems facing our democracy, we should be leaning in to more consensus-building, nonpartisan, pro-democracy reforms.

We need to be hyper focused on the issues that bring all of us together, and fighting corruption is at the top of Voters Not Politician’s list because it’s at the top of the list for Michiganders!

The Details

• According to Democracy Docket, states governors and legislatures who have explicitly threatened to gerrymander their way to electoral power now include: Texas, Florida, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, New Hampshire, South Carolina, California, New York, Illinois, and Maryland.

  • All together these states represent over 112 million eligible voters who might lose out on, or are already being denied, fair representation.

  • On Tuesday, Texas Republicans moved closer to their goal of gaining five additional congressional seats through antidemocratic scheming, when the Texas Senate passed a new Congressional district map. The Texas House remains without quorum, keeping the maps from advancing any further for now.

  • On Thursday, California Governor Gavin Newsom made his threat very real, by calling a special election for voters to potentially authorize a mid-decade partisan redistricting of the state’s congressional maps.

    • According to Newsom, these blatantly gerrymandered maps would only be used temporarily, and California’s voter-approved independent redistricting commission would once again draw the lines after the 2030 census.

• We know that blatant partisan gerrymandering is unpopular with most voters. A recent Navigator poll showed that a plurality of Independent voters (44%) opposed Texas Republican's mid-decade plan to redraw the state’s Congressional map. However, that percentage jumped to 52% once they learned that the plan is to redraw the maps solely to pick up more seats to add to their majority in the U.S. House.

• Politicians policing themselves is exactly how corrupt schemes like gerrymandering and pay-to-play corruption became ingrained in our politics. Corruption causes voters to lose trust in the system, while gerrymandering allows politicians to avoid accountability by picking and choosing their voters and listening to corporate donors over their constituents.

  • While ending partisan gerrymandering in Michigan was an important step in making politicians more accountable to the people, it was never going to solve all the problems of corruption in our politics. That will take additional reforms, including safeguarding ballot access and limiting the corrosive influence of money in politics.

• Another example of the kind of political corruption we continue to see in Michigan: last month Governor Whitmer made the highly unusual choice not to reappoint a highly qualified policy specialist who had completed only a partial term on the Michigan Public Service Commission, the board that regulates utility companies like DTE Energy and Consumers Energy. Gov. Whitmer replaced the highly qualified expert with a senior advisor and longtime legislative staffer described as an “industry ally” for utility monopolies by current legislators.

  • Shaquila Myers, the Governor’s new appointment to the MPSC, is reported to have worked behind the scenes to block legislation that was opposed by the utility companies during her time as Chief of Staff for former House Speaker Joe Tate.

  • Gov. Whitmer, who much like her predecessor from the other party has received millions in campaign donations from both DTE and Consumers, has so far not explained her decision.

• This type of clear conflict of interest appointment is exactly why Voters Not Politicians is pushing to ban campaign contributions from regulated utility monopolies and state contractors through the Mop Up Michigan ballot initiative.

• Similar to ending gerrymandering, getting money out of politics is an issue that voters across the political spectrum support by wide margins. By focusing on reform strategies that bring all voters together, instead of furthering partisanship, polarization, and voter disenfranchisement, we will protect our struggling state and federal democracy.

  • Some savvy politicians see the value in bringing Michiganders together to fight corruption. Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson have both expressed support for the anti-corruption, pro-democracy policies included in our petition.

  • In even more exciting news - our push to get money out of politics has support from both Republicans and Democrats.

What’s Next

Voters Not Politicians’ track record proves that bringing Michiganders together with campaigns for popular nonpartisan issues is a winning strategy. In this dire moment for democracy, it is more important than ever for us to break through disinformation and gridlock pitting communities against each other.

At the heart of all these problems is the overwhelming corruption infiltrating our political system, and we know that bringing voters together to take down political corruption is the best bulwark against the attacks on democracy.

Want to dig in right away? Join us at next Friday’s Board of State Canvasser’s meeting. We need an overflowing crowd to send the right message - show up!

Onwards!
Christy McGillivray
Executive Director
Voters Not Politicians

The Eighth Circuit is once again taking power away from voters and tearing apart the Voting Rights Act.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights division is facing a “mass exodus.”

And the Department Of Justice is now demanding sensitive voter data from all 50 states.

All of these attacks on democracy are very important, and they are also only the tip of the iceberg–as I type this, politicians across the country are on a path to gerrymander their party into power instead of just earning the votes of the American people by backing policies that a majority of voters want!

So today, let’s talk about what The New Republic is calling “The Gerrymandering Wars,” and why politicians trying to choose their voters is still such a huge threat to our democracy, even in Michigan.

The Details

• Voters Not Politicians originally formed with one simple and clear goal: end partisan gerrymandering and give the power to choose your representatives back to the people of Michigan. That goal resonated with millions of everyday citizens from across the political spectrum, many of whom had little to no political or activist experience. Why? Because the majority of Michiganders agreed that voters should choose their politicians, not the other way around.

• Texas politicians do not agree with Michiganders. For weeks now, President Trump and Gov. Abbot have been speaking publicly about their plan to have the Texas state legislature do a rare mid-decade redistricting with the explicit purpose of drawing more congressional districts that favor the GOP.

  • Because the Texas GOP has previously gerrymandered themselves into a supermajority, they have enough votes in the state legislature to do this with very few options for the Democratic party or voters themselves to fight back.

• Earlier this week, the Texas legislature released its draft map, which would create 30 districts with a built-in Republican advantage, as opposed to the current 25 districts. This will likely add 5 more anti-democracy seats at the direct expense of pro-democracy members of Congress.

  • Future voting behavior is not always as predictable as politicians would hope, so there is a possibility that this map may not yield the intended results, which is probably why anti-democracy funders are also pushing the DoJ to pressure Secretaries of State to comply with their data sharing requests, while we beat back their efforts to restrict who gets to vote in Michigan and other states.

• With the Texas Democratic party facing few options to stop the GOP from gerrymandering their way to victory, Democrats in other states, including California, New York, and Illinois, have suggested that the best possible solution is to gerrymander a Democrat advantage in their own states.

  • Even former Attorney General Eric Holder, a champion of independent redistricting, has given implicit approval of this scheme to out-gerrymander the Republican gerrymanders.

  • In response, and as further escalation in the Gerrymandering Wars, lawmakers in Missouri and Florida have also floated the idea of redrawing their already heavily-gerrymandered districts to further increase the GOP’s built-in electoral advantage.

• None of this is okay. None of this is democratic. Politicians across the country are loudly debating the best way to rig the rules, instead of winning over more voters. They have all lost the plot and turned representative democracy into a game of oppressive strategy instead of persuasion.

• Gerrymandering is a tool that benefits political parties. It does not benefit voters, and it does not benefit our democracy. We will not gerrymander our way out of this all-out assault on democracy – it will not work for the long term.

• Michigan is not currently on the list of states that could be used to gerrymander a party into power because of our Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (although California has a similar constitutionally-mandated commission that is now under threat).

• However, Michigan is facing related attacks on our democracy - politicians are still trying to pick and choose their preferred voters instead of trying to genuinely persuade voters to their cause. How are they doing that here in Michigan?

  • The voter suppression petitions gathering signatures this cycle are supported by politicians who want to avoid accountability by picking and choosing which voters are allowed to participate in elections, and restrict both voter registration and ballot access.

What’s Next

All of these attacks on our democracy, at the state and federal level, share a common goal - politicians rigging the rules of the game to consolidate power within their own political party, instead of legitimately earning the majority of the votes in an election.

Many pundits are calling for Democrats to lean into gerrymandering wars in the states they control, because for too long the perception has been that Democrats aren’t ready to fight fire with fire. Here is the problem with that–we have to build as big a tent as possible to stop the authoritarian power grab underway, and if we lean into hyperpartisanship we won’t be able to build that big tent.

But we CAN fight fire with fire. We are picking a big fight with very high stakes–one where we bring in thousands of people regardless of their political party affiliation.

This is why we are taking on corruption and money in politics. Voters are furious about the corrupting influence of money in state politics. We know they are, because we talk to hundreds of voters a week about our democracy and the state of it. We can and must pick big fights, and we can do so without leaning back into gerrymandering.

We will continue fighting back to rebuild a healthy democracy, where voters choose their politicians and all political power is inherent to the people. Sign up to help us get money out of politics next!

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Onwards!

Christy McGillivray
Executive Director
Voters Not Politicians