press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENews from Multiple Organizations

October 28, 2020

Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org

Open Letter from 37 Orgs: Every Vote Must Be Counted

Organizations across the state are mobilizing to ensure the election reflects the will of the people

MICHIGAN — Today, as part of a statewide effort, 37 organizations released an open letter showing a united front that is committed to ensuring the November 3 election is free and fair and every vote in Michigan is counted.

“No matter what we look like or where we come from, most of us believe America should be a place where everyone counts and where every vote is counted,” said Art Reyes, executive director of We the People – Michigan. “The principle of ‘one person, one vote’ extends to all eligible voters — Black, brown, or white, native or newcomer from Detroit to Grand Rapids to Marquette and everywhere in between. But some are trying to silence our voices and deny our rights; they want to bully and cheat their way through an election. We are standing as a united front with grassroots groups and community leaders from every corner of this state, joining together to ensure that we count every vote.”

Many of the organizations who signed onto the letter have been educating and mobilizing communities leading up to Election Day and are planning a statewide effort to ensure every vote is counted this election season and that the will of the people is respected once a fair and accurate count is tallied. 

“We won’t know the results of the election on election night because of the historic number of people voting and necessary steps to ensure the security of our election — and that’s OK. We will be patient, but we’re not going to be complacent,” Reyes continued. “More information will be coming out in the coming days, but we’re ready to mobilize and ensure every vote is counted and we have a free and fair election.” 

The language of the letter and list of organizations is included below: 

The undersigned organizations are educating people about the importance of ensuring every vote is counted and the will of the people is respected. 

When everyone’s vote is counted and the will of the people is truly heard, we can have a better future for everyone. However, in recent memory, communities across Michigan, especially Black and brown communities through emergency management, have had their votes taken from them and ignored. We are teaching people why that cannot be allowed to happen again. 

We’re all better off when more eligible voters – Black, white, brown, native or newcomer – are able to cast their vote and have their vote counted. By making sure that every eligible voter has their voice heard and vote counted, we can bring integrity to our election results and swear in a new government elected by and for us.

Over the course of this year, we have worked to provide accurate, reliable information about voting rights and election information to our communities and we will continue to do so until the polls close on Election Day and every voter standing in line has cast their ballot. 

Just about everything is different in 2020, and the November election is no exception. One of the biggest differences is that there may not be a clear winner on election night. 

We will not know the full results of the election on Election Day — and that’s OK. Between an unprecedented number of voters choosing to vote absentee and necessary steps to ensure the integrity of our ballots, we will be both patient and watchful  that everyone’s vote is counted. 

One of our most important rights as Americans is the right to vote, and election officials have a duty to ensure that every eligible vote is counted. Every ballot that is cast must be counted — from members of the military who send in their vote from overseas, to people with pre-existing conditions voting absentee because of the coronavirus, to people who vote on Election Day.

Voting is about so many things, Black liberation and racial equity, climate justice, an economy that works for everyone, and basic human rights for all, to name a few. But it all starts with ensuring every vote is counted and the will of the people is respected. 

AFT Michigan, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action Greater Ann Arbor, BlueGreen Alliance, Center for Change, Clean Water Action, Detroit Action, Detroit Disability Power, Detroit Jews for Justice, Detroit Justice Center, Engage Michigan, The Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor, Freedom Lifted, Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, Michigan AFL-CIO, Michigan Climate Action Network, MEJC-Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, Michigan Interfaith Power & Light, Michigan Faith in Action, Michigan Education Association, Michigan Liberation, Michigan People’s Campaign, Michigan Planned Parenthood Votes, Michigan United, Moratorium NOW Coalition, Northern Michigan Advocacy Group, Poor People’s Campaign of Washtenaw County, Progress Michigan, SEIU Michigan, Temple Beth Emeth, Washtenaw – Poor People’s Campaign; WeRoc, We The People – MI, We Want Green too, Wisdom Institute, 313 Care Collective, 48217 Southwest Detroit

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