Adam spent 27 years incarcerated for a bank robbery he committed when he was 22. While in prison he overcame numerous obstacles to obtain an Associates Degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice. He now is the Executive Director of A Brighter way where he has been extremely successful assisting returning citizens in Washtenaw County. Hear his story, and learn more about A Brighter Way by viewing him being interviewed on Conversations by watching the video here.

Students - Register. Request a ballot. VOTE all in one visit!

The Creative Campus Voting Project, originated in 2020, by the Ann Arbor City Clerk’s office and several collaborating departments at the University of Michigan, transformed a gallery in U-M's art museum into a hub for student voting. This well designed experience is back!! In 2020, over six weeks, 5,412 voters registered and 8,501 ballots were collected! This project was recognized by SEGD (Society for Environmental Graphic Design) Global Design Awards 2021 and shortlisted for Social Design by DesignWeek. 

"This project really serviced a need in our nation and society." Juror, SEGD

Sending letters for an hour can be an important contribution to electing your candidates 

Want to know which candidates for nonpartisan offices share your values?

Your friends and neighbors want to know who to vote for as well. Learn how you can find out and help others do so too, by emailing [email protected]. It’s easy and important.

Thursday, September 22. RE:CLAIM – "What if We Were All Free"

The RE:CLAIM project is a collective of over 100 artists, advocates, and movement builders seeking to honor the complexity and diversity of the community impact of the criminal legal system as it affects youth, adults, and families. The layers of the immersive installation offer audio and visual arts as a catalyst for visioning practices, and resources supporting the wellness and safety of our neighbors. Weekly conversation held at the Washtenaw County Courthouse at 101 E. Huron St.Registration Required. The 5:30 pm arrival time accounts forsecurity screeningupon entrance. Cell phones are permitted - please tag @the-reclaim_project on IG // @reclaimwashtenaw on FB.

Tonight's Conversation, hosted by the Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice, will employ poetry, storytelling and reflection to help guide the conversation and to explore the foundational tenets of prison industrial complex abolition. Featured guests include Leslie McGraw, Lisa Jackson, and Natalie Holbrook with others from the American Friends Service Committee and the stories they will share from “Let Me Tell You.” Tonight is part of the Compassionate Community Conversations program to build greater empathy and understanding within our communities, even when we hold different viewpoints. Providing ambient sound and vibes will be ‘The Chill Place’, a multi-media production house, focused on bridging the gaps between all demographics of people.  

• Thursday, September 22. "What if We Were All Free?" 5:30–8 pm
• Friday, September 30. "Soundwaves and Moods" featuring local musicians 5:30–8 pm

Thursday, September 22. Election Day Absentee Ballot Counting Board Challengers Training (AVCB)

Learn how to help make a difference at the November 8 Midterm Elections with the Michigan Dems Voter Protection folks. Sign up here. 6 pm ET

Saturday, September 24. 5th Annual Harvest Festival

Come together at the We The People Opportunity Farm at a Festival of Thanks and Community Gathering! There will be free food, live entertainment, kids activities, health and wellness presentations, freebies, and non-profit vendors. The Mission of We the People Opportunity Farm is to "break the cycle of incarceration in Washtenaw County by investing the employment and development of formerly incarcerated men and women through farming and community engagement." 1301 S Harris Rd, Ypsilanti, 48197. 11 am–4 pm

Now thru October 5. Help Get out the Voter Guide

The printed version of the Washtenaw Dems Voter Guide is a huge get-out-the-vote (GOTV) effort. It has a sample ballot with candidates endorsed by the WCDP – including judges and school board members – plus candidate info, early voting info, and more. Also, the Guide can be brought into the voting booth.

Don't forget to sign up to circulate these all-important Voter Guides, as well as the Mobilize link within your networks. The Dems are asking for 400 volunteers for 2-hour shifts between now and about October 5. Thanks for helping us get this indispensable tool into the hands of voters! Sign up here to volunteer!

Join Virtual Phone Bank with "One Campaign for Michigan"

Each phonebank shift begins with a quick training over Zoom with an organizer who will walk you through the phonebanking process and answer any questions you may have. Daily shifts now through November election. Sign up for a shift here today!

Support our friends at Nextgen with their Michigan Ground Game to GOTV

There are new event every week registering voters. Learn more and Sign up to get involved here.

• Wednesdays. Tabling Event at EMU Lobby. Eastern Michigan University Student Center, 900 Oakwood St. Ypsilanti. Sign up here. 2–4 pm ET
• Wednesdays. Register Students to VOTE at WSU Farmer's Market. Wayne State University. Woodward Avenue & West Warren Avenue Park. Detroit, 48201. Sign up here. 10 am
• Wednesdays. Weekly Tabling Event at MSU. Michigan State University International Center. 427 N. Shaw Ln, East Lansing, 48824. Sign up here. 11 am – 2 pm 
• Tuesday, October 4. Register Returning Citizens at Returned Citizens Resource Fair. Washtenaw Community College Morris Lawrence Building. 4800 E. Huron River Dr. Hosted by A Brighter Way. Sign up here. 5–7 pm

Saturday, October 1. “WCDP Presents Generation Z”

This series begins with a panel of young activists discussing voting rights, reproductive rights, justice reform, school board elections, cannabis, and environmental issues. Connect here.

Social Media: The Social Media Toolkit has graphics and pre-written posts for you to use. Flood the zone with that sweet, sweet democracy content by sharing any and all of it with the hashtags #VoteReady and/or #NationalVoterRegistrationDay AND tagging @NatlVoterRegDay. 

Resource: Talking to Voters guide is a super easy how-to resource for all things engaging with voters face to face.

Thanks to NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org and Booksweet Bookstore for hosting us as we attempted to remind people about registering to vote.

Participate in the Elections

Volunteers are needed for the November elections. Review the jobs here and sign up!! Examples of positions include Early voting observers, Election Day Poll Challenger, Cure Team and Poll Worker



Paid jobs for the Michigan Democratic Party can be found here. Examples of positions include Field Organizers, Campus Organizers and Digital Field Organizers

Help support the coming elections with WCDP

The Washtenaw County Democratic Party (WCDP), an all-volunteer organization, is recruiting area progressives for a variety of interesting volunteer roles. Join your neighbors, make friends, and help us fight for the Democracy we ALL deserve. Please fill out our Volunteer Interest Form and they will be in touch soon.

Here are a few of the roles that need help:

Neighborhood Organizer: Inform and galvanize potential voters in your neighborhood (aka precincts) – as an elected “precinct delegate” or unelected volunteer.

Canvassing Buddy: Support door-knocking neighborhood organizers by managing supplies, lists, and other needs.

Area Captain: This is a leadership role activating organizers in one of 15 geographic areas of the county.

Tabling Coordination: Make sure they have the supplies and volunteers necessary to show a friendly face where needed.

Event Planning: Organize social and educational events to build Democratic community.

Communication Team: This team works on the weekly newsletter, press releases, messaging, website development, social media management and all other communication needs. If you have a background in website/IT coordination, communications, or project management, this would be a great fit for you!

Republican Sharia Law

How different are Republican laws from Shariah law in other countries where rape victims rather than rapists are persecuted? 

The Demlabs article discusses the hypocrisy of laws created in Republican run states by citing a particular Des Moines, Iowa case where the outcome requires the teenage rape victim to pay the family of the rapist $150,000. “The decision to prosecute Lewis and the subsequent sentence sends a clear message to Black women, girls and gender expansive individuals – the law will not protect you – and if you defend yourself, you will pay a high price,” Marcela Howell, CEO of nonprofit advocacy group In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda (CNN). How can Republican led states like Iowa claim to value the importance of life yet do not have Safe Harbor laws in place to protect children from sexual abuse and trafficking?

 “Conservatism, in its extreme form, is always about codifying what other people can do. Shariah Law — the conservative aspect of Islamic law — limits the rights and freedom of women to control their minds, their bodies. The GOP-packed Supreme Court, limits the rights and freedom of women to control their minds, their bodies, and their worlds. Conservative Shariah Law condemns homosexuality, and it appears US Supreme Court is hell-bent on doing the same here.

Conservative Shariah Law opposes birth control and contraception, and it appears that the Supreme Court is going to do that, too.” – The Shariah Law Republicans Feared Is Here — And They Are Making It.

Gadwell Jackson’s article, “The Shariah Law Republicans Feared Is Here — And They Are Making It. The leader is SCOTUS,“ states that the US is about to become the most draconian, religiously driven, conservative society in the world, outside of Iran, Afghanistan, and possibly Israel. This is what happens when a society allows its courts to become politicized. Voting is our best defense in helpting to stop Republican Shariah Laws from spreading.

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