Daily Kos: Michigan Goes Blue 2020 and 2022

Let's go, MI: Time to flip our State Supreme Court by electing Elizabeth Welch

peregrine kate for Michigan Goes Blue 2020 and 2022

Daily Kos Staff

Friday October 30, 2020 · 8:02 AM PDT

2020/10/30 · 08:02

Large campaign sign for Bridget McCormack and Elizabeth Welch, displayed on Woodward Ave. in Royal Oak MI — Think "spices and food"

This is it, people—the final GOTV (Get Out The Vote) weekend has finally arrived. Already, in the age of COVID-19 precautions and no-excuse absentee voting, over 1 million Michigan voters have returned their ballots to their city or township clerk. But don’t be misled: In November 2016, nearly 4,800,000 votes were cast, and we may well blow past that number this year. That means that there are PLENTY of voters who may have not yet made their decisions. And YOU can help win one of the most important races on the ballot, the one to determine the balance on the Michigan Supreme Court.

The terror plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer shows why we need to take back Michigan's government

David Nir for Daily Kos Elections

Daily Kos Staff

Saturday October 10, 2020 · 9:52 AM PDT

2020/10/10 · 09:52

Demonstrators protest in Lansing, Michigan, during a rally organized by Michigan United for Liberty on May 14, 2020, to protest the coronavirus pandemic stay-at-home orders. - Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on May 13 that protests against the state's emergency orders might make it necessary for the state to keep restrictions in place longer. The orders have been extended until May 28. (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP) (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

Even in a year as horrifying as this one, the story still shocked: Radical right-wing extremists had spent months training with guns and explosives to kidnap Michigan’s governor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, and “instigate civil war.” Thankfully, the plot was foiled by federal agents, but the incitement that gave rise to it continues to be perpetrated, not least by Donald Trump.

It was Trump who, in April, tweeted in all caps, “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” amidst the lockdown Whitmer imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Three minutes later, he wrote, “LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!” Trump’s call for armed insurrection against duly elected officials provided the backdrop—and very possibly the impetus—for the terrorists who sought to overthrow Whitmer.

Kelly Breen (MI HD-38) and Julia Pulver (MI HD-39) have Gretchen's back. We should have theirs.

kid oakland

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday October 08, 2020 · 6:28 PM PDT

2020/10/08 · 18:28

Michigan Candidates Kelly Breen and Julia Pulver — Michigan's State House race was already important. Now, these races are more crucial than ever.

Today’s shocking and truly disturbing news out of Michigan calls for a response.

What’s worse, the terrorists arrested by the FBI had been part of the mob threatening the MI legislature earlier this year...inside the building.

The best response national Democrats can make is to help give Governor Gretchen Whitmer a majority in the Michigan House of Representatives.

Think about what a clear signal that would send to the nation.

It’s time to reject gun extremists and violent homegrown terrorism and put majorities into our legislatures that will make our State Houses safe places again...places where we pass legislation that protect everyone.

I’ve already written about Chokwe Pitchford and Barb Anness, two excellent Michigan candidates who still need all the help we can give them if they have a chance to win. (People tell me that Barb’s race may be the crucial tipping point seat in Michigan, if we are to win the majority.)

Tonight I’d like to urge you to support Kelly Breen (HD-38) and Julia Pulver (HD-39). Their campaigns are two more key components of the races we need to win to flip the MI State House Blue and send a clear message to those who would coddle extremism in our midst.

Julia, who has an excellent endorsement list, has already tweeted in support of Governor Whitmer:

@GovWhitmer #MI39 has your back! We will not be intimidated. We will not be bullied. We will not back down from doing the right thing for our community. #WeStandWithGretchen #FlipMIHouse pic.twitter.com/d4BmisvBMX
— Julia Pulver for State Representative (@VotePulver) October 8, 2020

You can donate to Julia directly at her campaign link here. And she also has an excellent volunteer opportunity coming up this weekend:

DON'T MISS YOUR SHOT!! @VotePulver is hosting a phone bank with some of the cast of Hamilton this Sunday from 4-6!! There will be a short performance and a phone banking training! To RSVP please click this link: https://t.co/N4XDK1THWw
— Sam Hurwitz (@SamuelHurwitz) October 6, 2020

Novi City Council member Kelly Breen (link to her excellent endorsement list) has a slightly more understated approach to her campaign. But her substance is well worth supporting.

She’s also lined up the kind of sober endorsements from respected local officials that make a difference in a close race:

“Kelly Breen represents the very best of the next generation of public servants. She has stepped up to take the baton of leadership, and we have all been better for it. In getting to know Kelly, I have been impressed with her depth of knowledge on important issues at the local and state levels, and her passion for advocating for the people of Novi, Walled Lake, and the entire 38th District. I am proud to give Kelly Breen my complete endorsement to be our State Representative.

-William Roberts, former Walled Lake Mayor (1973-1977 / 1986-2013)

You can donate to Kelly directly here.

I’ve also added both these candidates as urgent additions to my State Level Impact 2020 ActBlue page focused on supporting key state legislative races (and allowing you to opt out of candidate emails.)

I urge you to take action today.

::

When I started this project it was with the thought in mind that this election cycle might be thrown into “distractions” and “zaniness.” I trust Joe Biden and Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket. And I am truly in AWE of Marc Elias….Democratic HERO and lawyer for voting rights in 2020...who leads a team of election experts fighting so that every last vote is counted.

Now, more than ever, the importance of State Level candidates is paramount. These candidates are relentlessly local and the money and energy we provide to support them goes directly into winning MORE VOTES for our entire ticket. In fact, “Up Ticket” voting is a thing when local candidates turn out the hardest to reach voters from their deep networks of family, friends and business associates.

Please, as this election closes, keep your eyes on the prize and support local candidates who will help fight gerrymandering and pass laws that send a clear message that American Democracy is resilient and here to stay!

::

About this series:

I’m a longtime local election activist and Dailykos blogger dating back to 2003. I was part of helping local blogs and the netroots drive Democrats to take back the House in 2006 and helped build some of the biggest and most successful grassroots and online groups supporting Barack Obama.

The 2020 Democratic State Legislative candidates are heroes, and deserve our support. (If you are on Twitter please click on that link!) They are our best chance of changing US politics including GOP voter suppression and gerrymandering for decades to come and many of them will run campaigns that help us win electoral college votes and key US Senate and House votes:

You can also visit and donate at the State Level Impact 2020 ActBlue Page (Page created w/ an email privacy option for those who prefer to make a one time donation to multiple candidates.)

What, me phonebank!? Tips for introverts (and friends)

dsb

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday October 06, 2020 · 8:55 AM PDT

2020/10/06 · 08:55

woman making a phone call using a script

Why would I want to phonebank? I’m an introvert, and I don’t usually seek out strangers to talk to. I avoid calling people on the phone, and I often don’t answer when people call me. I get tongue-tied when I’m put on the spot and I sure as heck don’t want to sell anything to anyone.

But I’ve learned that personally talking with people is by far the most effective way to get them engaged and to turn out voters. So now I not only phonebank, I co-teach workshops for reluctant phonebankers. It was suggested that I write about it, to give readers some tips and links to learn more, in hopes that folks looking to get more involved in the election will find some inspiration.

Barb Anness (MI-HD-45) is passionate about the Rochester community. Her MI district is CRUCIAL.

kid oakland

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday September 29, 2020 · 9:32 AM PDT

2020/09/29 · 09:32

Michigan State House Candidate Barb Anness — Barb Anness is running to flip HD-45 blue. You can help!

When they write the story of the 2020 election, there will be consequential campaigns and races that will later strike us as crucial turning points.

Some of them will be surprises and come out of nowhere.

Others will appear to us in retrospect as races we should have considered essential from the start.

Dailykos endorsed Barb Anness running to flip Michigan’s 45th House district Blue is in the latter category. This is a really important race in a GOP-held district that is trending but not yet quite our way….and the fact is, we can all see it, right now.

Democrats need 4 seats to flip Michigan’s House of Representatives, and by all accounts, the 45th is highly likely to be the deciding seat. Michigan’s future hinges on the outcome of this election.

(Remember those heavily armed gangs holding a State Leg hostage in May? Yeah, that Michigan.)

Gretchen Whitmer gets it:

I'm so grateful to have @GovWhitmer's support in this race! For too long she's faced gridlock in Lansing, which is why I need your help to #FlipThe45th so we can work together to get things done for Michigan families. Visit https://t.co/GtwxvGwVNL to join us in the fight! pic.twitter.com/P6Qy6rISEf
— barbanness2020 (@barbanness2020) September 24, 2020

Barb hits all the right notes on the issues and has won crucial endorsements, and has even got fun events coming up for folks to join in like Cider and Donuts with Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, but what strikes anyone most about her campaign are the keywords passion and trust.

Those keywords epitomize that something else that just impresses you about this candidate.

Barb’s care for every last person in the Greater Rochester community shines through in every thing she does. Barb has an inclusive and pragmatic vision that embraces the well-being of her neighbors. It comes through in the thoughtful wording of the endorsers, and in her clear passion for the education of every last Michigander.

And to those wondering if Barb’s tough enough, she’s got Midwestern fight in her wheelhouse, as well:

Never the less she persisted. Thank you, @amyklobuchar, for speaking truth to power. #vote people! https://t.co/hWatQTfRiJ
— barbanness2020 (@barbanness2020) September 28, 2020

Donating to Barb is as simple as giving to the DailyKos anti-Gerrymander ActBlue page which crossed $500,000 donated just today!!

You can also donate and volunteer with Barb directly here.

Personal note:

Friends, I know that fresh news and ‘controversy’ takes get the recommends here, but in the run up to the election, I’d really appreciate if you’d share these posts on social media, recommend them and help every diarist, not just me, writing about MORE and BETTER Democrats in the run up to the election. That’s what this website is about, and these Democrats running to flip Red Districts to the Blue deserve our best effort to have their backs.

About this series:

The 2020 Democratic State Legislative candidates are heroes, and deserve our support. They are our best chance of changing US politics including GOP voter suppression and gerrymandering for decades to come and many of them will run campaigns that help us win electoral college votes and key US Senate and House votes:

You can also visit the State Level Impact 2020 ActBlue Page (Page created w/ an email privacy option for those who prefer to make a one time donation to multiple candidates.)

Early in-person voting starts TODAY in Michigan! Make a plan to vote (w/poll)

peregrine kate for Michigan Goes Blue 2020 and 2022

Daily Kos Staff

Thursday September 24, 2020 · 10:44 AM PDT

2020/09/24 · 10:44

Still from YouTube video, "How to Vote Early by Absentee Ballot in Michigan" [Part 3] https://youtu.be/BlnU2bsj_Pw — You too can acquire a super power through voting early!

Thanks to the success of Proposal 3 in 2018, Michigan voters now have NO EXCUSE absentee voting. This welcome expansion of voting rights, coupled with the ability of voters to request absentee ballots from their city/township clerk and complete/submit them in person, will transform the voting landscape for us in 2020. And that transformation starts NOW.

Our “early voting” in Michigan looks different than it does in other states where they have polling places staffed and open prior to election day. With the possibility existing at scale only since 2019, it’s still going to take some adjustment for us. But with practice, we can adapt.

These are the key points to know about early voting in Michigan at this stage of the process.

Absentee ballots are already being mailed out to voters who submitted their application for one. A staffer at my clerk’s office confirmed that they have begun the process and should be putting mine in the mail TODAY.
Starting TODAY, Thursday, September 24, all city and township clerks are supposed to have absentee ballots available to voters who come to request them and vote in person.

If you’re like me, you’re excited! I cannot wait to receive my ballot, complete it, and return it to my clerk!

To celebrate this novel capacity we have in Michigan, top candidates and elected officials are hosting a virtual rally tonight, from 7:30-8:00 PM: Early Voting Rally with Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Electeds, and Special Guests. Clicking the link will take you to the registration page—and introduce you to the Mobilize America platform if you don’t already know it.

Poll

25 votes Show Results

Michigan voters: What is your plan for voting?

25 votes Vote Now!

Michigan voters: What is your plan for voting?

Vote early, in person, at my city/township clerk's office

14 votes

Vote early, via absentee ballot mailed back via USPS

2 votes

Vote early, via absentee ballot returned to a drop box in my own city or township

6 votes

Vote in person on Election Day at my polling place

3 votes

Michiganders, Voters, Know the Law and Protect Each Other. Secure Your Vote.

BL Hokie

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday September 19, 2020 · 9:48 PM PDT

2020/09/19 · 21:48

Let me preface this by saying that I do not practice any sort of law in Michigan. I don’t know how the courts there work. But I can find, read, and explain the laws that will allow you Michigan voters to protect yours and other’s votes if MAGA comes to the polls to intimidate, harass, or threaten peaceful people engaged in the exercise of their right to vote.

Michigan Code Chapter 168 deals with election law.

Michigan Code Section 168.932, Prohibited Conduct, Violation as Felony, states:

A person who violates 1 or more of the following subdivisions is guilty of a felony:

(a) A person shall not attempt, by means of bribery, menace, or other corrupt means or device, either directly or indirectly, to influence an elector in giving his or her vote, or to deter the elector from, or interrupt the elector in giving his or her vote at any election held in this state.

...

MCLS § 168.932

This is then followed by Michigan Code Section 168.935 which states that:

Any person found guilty of a felony under the provisions of this act shall, unless herein otherwise provided, be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000.00, or by imprisonment in the state prison for a term not exceeding 5 years, or by both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.

MCLS § 168.935

State prosecutors have a duty to institute criminal proceedings if the law is violated:

It is hereby made the duty of every prosecuting attorney, whenever he shall receive credible information that any such offense has been committed, to cause the same to be prosecuted.

MCLS § 168.940

And finally, Michigan Code Section 168.941 states:

It is hereby made the duty of any police, sheriff or other peace officer, present and having knowledge of any violation of any of the provisions of this act, to forthwith institute criminal proceedings for the punishment of such offender.

MCLS § 168.941

So, it seems that if some thugs show up at the polls and try to intimidate, harass, or deter people from voting they are committing a felony. They can go to prison for it. So, the police would be the first ones to contact. If not, get the contact information for your local State Attorney, or District Attorney because they also have a duty to bring criminal charges for these violations.

Don’t just put your complaints on Daily Kos or on Twitter, or wherever. Yeah, do that, but make sure you contact someone who can actually make a difference on the ground first, when this is happening.

What if the police or the prosecutor don’t do anything? Make it known to the press. Prosecutors are elected. They have to be political by nature and if they are seen as allowing criminal interference in elections to take place, well it looks bad for them.

I can’t say that this will stop or deter misconduct or criminal activity, but it is something that the law empowers each of us to do to protect our votes and the integrity of the voting process.

If you see something, do something.

Peace,

BL Hokie

Michigan court rules that late arriving ballots can be counted (Reuters)

e2247

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday September 18, 2020 · 12:12 PM PDT

2020/09/18 · 12:12

ballot marking device, which prints a paper ballot for review.

DETROIT (Reuters) — ...[...]… mailed ballots postmarked by Nov. 2 must be counted in the state as long as they are received by a clerk’s office within two weeks after the Nov. 3 election.

update: case brought by the Michigan Alliance for Retired Americans, and argued for by Marc Elias, an elections lawyer working with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign.

🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: In MAJOR Victory for voting rights in Michigan. Court rules:
✅Ballots postmarked by 11/2 & received w/in 14 days of E-Day to be counted.
✅Ballot collection allowed from the Friday before Election Day through E-Day
Congrats @prioritiesUSA https://t.co/mMTQtuzywG
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) September 18, 2020

Stay up to date on all of the voting laws and changes between now and Election Day.

Follow: @DemocracyDocket
And Sign Up Now!https://t.co/e8bnQntHqZ
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) September 18, 2020

View "Suppressed" + join Q&A with MI SOS Benson F 9/18--then sign up to protect the vote in MI!

peregrine kate for Michigan Goes Blue 2020 and 2022

Daily Kos Staff

Thursday September 17, 2020 · 6:28 PM PDT

2020/09/17 · 18:28

You are welcome to join SWIM (StateWide Indivisible of Michigan) on Friday, September 18, from 5:00-6:30 PM for a screening via Zoom of Suppressed 2020: The Fight to Vote. This 38-minute, award-winning documentary by Robert Greenwald describes the barriers to voting that have been built since the gutting of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, including the shenanigans that cost Stacey Abrams the Georgia gubernatorial election in 2018. It features the ongoing efforts by activists who have been organizing citizens across the country to overcome them—efforts that you yourself can join. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a long-time champion for voting rights who is now in a perfect position to defend them, will participate in a Q&A session after this screening. To register for the screening, visit this link.

Ever since the horrifying election results from Michigan on November 8, 2016, activists in and out of the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) have worked relentlessly to prevent a repeat here on November 3, 2020. Credit for our excellent returns in the 2018 midterms goes to many thousands of volunteers participating in hundreds of groups across the state, along with skilled campaign and MDP staff and the fine Democratic candidates who won statewide and local offices in that beautiful blue wave.

In 2020, the MDP has stepped up its efforts to safeguard this election in a number of ways. They’re helping to advertise the need for election workers, a critically-important public service usually performed by older voters who may not be able to take part this year in the teeth of the COVID-19 pandemic. These positions, which include poll workers and absentee ballot counters, are filled at the city/township level and workers will be trained in advance and paid for their time. But other important opportunities are open to all, inside and outside Michigan, and recruitment to fill these spots is proceeding right now.

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