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Sign #HandsOffMIVote Open Letter: Protect Access, Support Election Workers
Proposals that would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote continue to advance at both the state and federal level. These policies are presented as election security measures, but they target a problem that has repeatedly been shown to be extremely rare while risking the exclusion of eligible voters from the democratic process.…
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Upcoming Community Events in May
VAAC will be joining and supporting several community events throughout May focused on access, safety, support, and civic engagement. Detroit Warrant Clinic | May 16 VAAC is co-hosting Our Own Wall Street’s Detroit Warrant Clinic on May 16, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This clinic is for individuals with arrest warrants from the…
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Voting Rights Art Pop-Ups Continue in May
Voting Access for All Coalition (VAAC), in partnership with Indivisible Metro Detroit, is continuing a series of community pop-ups to build a collaborative Voting Rights Art Installation on May 19th and 28th. At a time when barriers to voting are growing, these gatherings create space for people to express personal experiences, frustrations, memories, and hopes…
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Mother’s Day, Black Mama’s Bail Out, Support for Incarcerated Mothers
Mother’s Day can be a painful reminder of separation for families impacted by incarceration. Black Mama’s Bail Out began in 2017 as a national effort to bail out Black mamas and caregivers from jails and migrant detention centers before Mother’s Day. The campaign uses the term “Mama” broadly to include Black women, femmes, gender-nonconforming people,…
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Statewide Jail Voting Workgroup Continues Expanding Coordination Across Michigan
VAAC’s Statewide Jail Voting Workgroup continues building a coordinated effort to protect and expand voting access for eligible voters detained in Michigan county jails. In Michigan, many people in jail are legally eligible to vote, but access often depends on systems that are inconsistent, difficult to navigate, or unavailable altogether. This workgroup brings together organizations,…
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Michigan Secretary of State Announces Election Oversight Safeguards for 2026 Governor’s Race
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has announced new procedures outlining how certain election responsibilities will be handled while she is also a candidate for governor in 2026. The policy is designed to separate parts of election administration connected to the governor’s race from the Secretary of State’s direct oversight during the election cycle. Under…
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Michiganders Say No to Passing the Farm Bill
Original article by Chrystal Blair, May 7, 2026, Public News Service Michigan farmers, food assistance, and environmental groups are urging the U.S. Senate to reject the Farm Bill passed by the U.S. House. Speaking at a virtual news conference hosted by Progress Michigan, the groups said the legislation favors large agricultural corporations over working families…
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A Letter from Our Executive Director on the Supreme Court’s Decision in Louisiana v. Callais: This Is Not Normal
Dear Community, What happened on Wednesday is not just another court decision. With the stroke of a pen, the Supreme Court made it harder to challenge unfair voting maps. And we need to be honest about what that means. It means communities, especially Black communities, can be divided, diluted, and pushed out of fair representation…
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VAAC Friday Community Meetings on May 8th & 22nd
VAAC Friday Community Meetings are a weekly space for connection, updates, and shared learning. Voting is a right, but for many people, access is still out of reach. May 8 | Jail Voting Rights, Barriers, and Access Join VAAC on May 8 at 12:30 PM for a conversation on jail voting, what it is, who…
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Statewide Jail Voting Workgroup on May 7th
VAAC’s Jail Voting Workgroup is officially underway. We have begun organizing a coordinated statewide effort to ensure that voters detained in Michigan jails are able to exercise their right to vote. This work brings together individuals and organizations committed to expanding access and addressing the barriers that prevent eligible voters from participating. We’ve built momentum…