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Out in the Community: Clearing Barriers, Celebrating Early Voting, and Making Every Voice Count
VAAC in Action Across Detroit Over the past week, Voting Access for All Coalition (VAAC) has been on the ground helping people across Michigan exercise their right to vote — from clearing warrants to celebrating early voting and sharing clear, accurate information about how to cast a ballot. Fresh Starts at the Warrant Clinic At…
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“I Don’t Understand”: Prison Video Exposes Abuse of Writer Demetrius Buckley
A rare glimpse behind Michigan’s prison walls A newly released Detroit Free Press video shows Michigan prison staff in riot gear twice spraying chemical agents on award-winning writer Demetrius Buckley—while he was handcuffed and confined inside a shower cage. The disturbing footage, now part of a federal civil rights lawsuit, was made public only after…
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Breaking Down Michigan’s $81B Budget: What It Means for Our Communities
A deep dive into Michigan’s FY 2026 priorities — and how they’ll shape our future Michigan’s newly signed $81 billion state budget sets the stage for how public dollars will impact our daily lives — from education and housing to healthcare, reentry, and public safety. These choices reflect the values and priorities of our leaders,…
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The Numbers Tell the Story: Michigan’s $81 Billion Budget and What It Means for Us
Join this week’s VAAC Friday Community Meeting to unpack the state budget and its impact on our lives VAAC Friday Community Meetings are a weekly space for connection, updates, and shared learning. Each Friday, we bring together directly impacted people, organizers, advocates, and community members from across Michigan to talk about voting access, criminal justice,…
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Michigan Voices: Ending Prison Gerrymandering
VAAC Executive Director Angela Davenport calls for fair representation in Michigan Read Full Article Here Prison gerrymandering distorts democracy. It occurs when incarcerated people are counted as residents of the prisons where they are held rather than their home communities during redistricting. The result is an artificial imbalance: rural districts where prisons are located gain…
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Research Opportunity
Have you experienced incarceration and worked for change in your community? Calling Black Women in Detroit and Lansing! We would love to hear your story. There is a new PhD project led by a researcher from Detroit, focusing on the political lives of Black women after incarceration. This project involves interviewing Black women who have…
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Know Before You Sign – Protect Our Communities From Harmful Petitions
Learn what’s behind the ballot initiatives circulating in Michigan Ballot petitions are being passed around across Michigan — some may sound harmless, but they could create serious new barriers to voting and limit the rights of our neighbors. Before signing any petition, it’s critical to know: What it actually proposes (beyond the headline) Who is…
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Prison Gerrymandering in Michigan: Distorting Democracy
How counting incarcerated people in prison districts shifts political power In Michigan, thousands of incarcerated people are counted in the population of the communities where they’re imprisoned—not where they actually live and will return after release. This practice, called prison gerrymandering, gives extra political clout to districts that host prisons while reducing representation for the…
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Safety Reimagined: A Community Vision for Justice & Civic Power
Virtual community conversation with Senator Stephanie Chang On Tuesday, August 12 at 6:00 PM (EST), join Voting Access for All Coalition, the Vera Institute, Mothering Justice, and the Michigan Roundtable for Just Communities for an urgent and inspiring discussion: Safety Reimagined: A Community Vision for Justice & Civic Power. We’re honored to welcome Michigan State…
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Volunteer with VAAC: Help Build a More Just Democracy
From voter registration to outreach and education — there’s a place for you in this movement Voting Access for All Coalition is growing our team of committed volunteers working to remove barriers to the ballot and make democracy real for everyone — especially people impacted by incarceration, poverty, or systemic disenfranchisement. Whether you’re seasoned in…