Jul Newsletter

Jen S
Aug 1
11 min read

DISTRIBUTED FUNDRAISING ---- MATCHING FUNDS!

If your group is part of Indivisible's Distributed Fundraising Program, you are probably aware that there will be a window from August 1 - 31. What you may or may not know is that since Michigan is a designated Battleground State, funds collected by Michigan groups will be matched up to $600. This is twice what groups in other states will receive. This is a great opportunity to raise some funds to make some "Good Trouble." If you wish to support SWIM during this period, you can make a donation here.

MICHIGAN PRIMARYAUGUST 4, 2026

A supermajority of SWIM's participating groups came together in strong support of Dr. Abdul El-Sayed because his record speaks directly to what Michiganders are facing right now. As a physician and former public health official, Dr. El-Sayed has spent his career on the front lines of the issues that matter most to working families, fighting for healthcare that people can actually afford, standing up for workers' rights, and pushing back against the corporate interests that too often drown out the voices of everyday people in Washington.

His time as Wayne County Health Director showed Michiganders what principled, people-first leadership looks like in practice, not just in theory. He's built a reputation for taking on entrenched power structures and refusing to back down, whether that meant confronting corporate influence in healthcare or advocating for communities that are too often overlooked by politicians in Lansing and D.C. alike.

Groups across the state recognized Dr. El-Sayed as a candidate who understands that the U.S. Senate seat isn't just about Michigan having a voice in Washington--it's about who that voice belongs to. His campaign centers on grassroots organizing and people-powered politics, the same values that animate SWIM's member groups. That shared foundation is part of why the consensus in his favor was so clear and so strong.

As Michigan heads into one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country, SWIM's member groups believe Dr. El-Sayed offers the kind of bold, accountable leadership the state needs -- someone who will fight for healthcare access, economic justice, and a government that answers to its people, not to corporate donors.

EVERYONE CAN DO SOMETHING

By signing up for the Indivisible Election Protection Team you'll have access to groups already working in your area of interest. Simply fill out the form and indicate where you see your superpower leads you.The Election Defense Corps is a grassroots network of volunteers located in Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas dedicated to protecting the right to vote before, during, and after the 2026 election. When federal protections are removed, defending democracy becomes a community effort.Sign the pledge today to commit to joining the Election Defense Corps. By signing up now, you’ll receive strategic updates via email and text, training opportunities, and critical calls to action during key election protection moments in your state. You can sign up here.

Neighbor 2 NeighborThis is how we win - one conversation at a time. Volunteers will receive a list of just 10 doors to knock, often within walking distance of your home. These are homes that have indicated support, in the past. This makes it simple and manageable. The current scripts are messaging about free and fair or educating voters about Abdul El-Sayed, Indivisible's endorsed candidate for the open Michigan Senate seat.Not sure where to start? Check out this quick read from the Indivisible team: “How We’re Going to Defeat MAGA, 10 Doors at a Time."And if you’re feeling nervous, bring a friend! Seriously, it makes it way more fun.Sign Up Here.

Join Indivisible as we make calls into Michigan to get voters ready for the upcoming primary election on August 4th and share why we’re supporting Abdul El-Sayed for U.S. Senate, William Lawrence in Michigan's 7th House District, and Donavan McKinney in Michigan's 13th House District! We’ll be telling voters all about these exciting candidates and why they should be voting to send Abdul, William, and Donavan to represent them. Help make calls to voters in Michigan, and let's rally to elect real fighters for families and defenders of democracy at the federal level.A short phonebanking training will be included at the beginning of each phonebank, so both first-time dialers and phonebank pros are welcome to join. Be sure to have both a computer and a phone so that you can make calls to voters.Sign Up Here

EVERYONE CAN DO SOMETHING

PRIMARY INFOMICHIGANVOTING.ORG is a one-stop information resource on all things voting for the Michigan August 4, 2026 Primary. CLICK HERE to access this resource and get all your primary voting questions answered.STAY IN YOUR LANEHelp your friends and family to vote correctly in the primary by reminding them that on the partisan portion of the ballot, they can only vote for one party. They do not have to vote for every race but they cannot cross over. Doing so will spoil their ballot.DID YOUR CANDIDATE DROP OUT AFTER YOU VOTED?According to the Michigan Voter Information Center, you can change your ballot as long as it has not already been tabulated at an early voting site or Election Day polling location (in which case the vote cannot be changed). If, on the other hand, a voter has returned their ballot directly to their clerk and wishes to change their vote -- because the candidate has dropped out of the race, or for any other reason -- the voter can spoil their ballot by submitting a written request to their city or township clerk.

The voter must sign the request and state if they would like a new absentee ballot mailed to them or if they will pick it up in person at the clerk’s office.
This request must be received by 5 p.m. on the second Friday before the election if the absentee ballot has been returned to the clerk. There is no option during the mandatory early voting period or an Election Day to spoil an absentee ballot that has been received by the clerk.
An absentee ballot that has not been returned to the clerk may be spoiled in person at the clerk’s office until 4 p.m. the Monday prior to the election.
If a voter has not returned his or her ballot, they can surrender the ballot or sign a statement declaring that the ballot was lost or destroyed and vote in person at an early voting site or on Election Day.

Contact information about your clerk can be found in the voter informationsection of this website. The deadline to change your ballot is July 24.

VOTER GUIDES CAN HELPBIG BLUE VOTER GUIDE

Just enter your address, build your guide, review, save, print and go to the polls or fill out your absentee ballot. The Blue Voter Guide can help you make informed, pro-democracy and pro-working family choices. It shows you the candidates and propositions on your ballot with endorsements from trusted, forward looking organizations. You can access the guide here.

MICHIGAN ADVANCE VOTER GUIDE

This guide is designed to provide you with unbiased, essential information about each candidate in key races. Understanding these details will empower you to cast a vote that reflects your values and interests. You can access the guide here.

BRIDGE MAGAZINE VOTER GUIDE

Find key dates, deadlines and resources to help you navigate Michigan’s 2026 elections. Bridge works to provide a non-partisan voter guide which provides a wide variety of information. You can access the guide here.

LEAGUE OF WOMAN VOTERS VOTER GUIDE

For many this is their go to voter guide. You can access it here.

EVERYONE CAN DO SOMETHING

Sign-ups to be a nonpartisan poll challenger for the August primary

Sign up here with Promote the Vote so that you can monitor and protect elections in your community. You can sign up for multiple shifts during the early votingperiod or on Election Day.

Poll challengers will be especially needed during this year's elections to make sure that voters can safely cast their ballots. As our eyes and ears on the ground, you can help make sure eligible voters can cast their ballots, free from interference and voter intimidation. In the past, PTVF’s volunteers have corrected improper election procedures at early voting sites and made sure polling places remained safe and accessible.

BE A POLL CHALLENGER

Poll challengers are required to complete training in order to receive your credentials and be assigned to a location. To get trained, you have the following options:

Take a virtual, asychronous training (will be sent to you after signing up on Mobilize).
Take a Zoom Challenger Training on July 22 @ 6p-8p
Take an in-person challenger training on July 29 @ 6p-8p at the Detroit Branch NAACP

Please note that these live trainings are the same as the on-demand training. Challengers only need to complete one training (on-demand, zoom, or in person) to get their challenger credential. Upon taking the training, you will be assigned to a site near you.

EVERYONE CAN DO SOMETHINGMAKE COMMUNICATIONS WITH VOTERS MORE EFFICIENT

Michigan Freedom Coalition Relational Text Bank Program Join the Michigan Freedom Coalition and their partner organizations for virtual text banks every Tuesday from 6-8 pm (and training, if needed) using Impactive/ActBlue Field Tools — a texting app that lets you seamlessly and efficiently reach out to friends, family, coworkers, everyone in your phone. Start conversations about why YOU care about the next election, why THEY care about the next election, and what we all can do to protect our democracy in the lead-up to August and November. You can sign up here.

In addition to the weekly text bank, The Freedom Coalition will be offering weekly information sessions. By signing up you will receive information on these as well.If you have any questions, please reach out to Emily at the MI Freedom Coalition: ebusch@endgunviolencemi.org.

WAVE IS BACK!

If you have used WAVE (We All Vote Everytime) in the past, this is exciting news for you. WAVE has initiated a "Bring Them Back Campaign". In Michigan, 640,000 people voted in 2020 but did not vote in 2024. In 2024, the average Michigan voter was roughly 66% likely to participate. However, Voters on the Permanent Absentee Voter list turned out 97% of the time. So let's get them signed up!You can read more about WAVE's "Bring Them Back" program here. You can review the various ways you can access the WAVE program here.

POSTCARDS

We all know folks who love to do postcards and we have often referred to postcarding as a gateway drug to activism. Many have asked, where to get addresses and is it effective?Different providers focus on different audiences and there is no shortage of campaigns from which to choose.

Cartoons for Democracy is focusing on Spanish-speaking low-involvement voters in Texas and California, encouraging them to visit Spanish-language voting websites that aren't billionaire-funded and riddled with misinformation, setting them up for success in November.

Field Team 6 writes to unregistered voters they believe will vote Democratic once they register. What is key about this demographic is most organizations otherwise reach out to already-registered voters, so this audience is not one that gets contacted often.

Activate America is one of the powerhouses of address providers, having one of the largest selections of campaigns from which to choose.

Markers for Democracy tends to focus on small, down-ballot races, often asking you to write now and hold the cards until closer to election day.If you get blank postcards from Cartoons for Democracy that dovetail on any of the messages those groups provide, but have problems getting addresses from them, please email us and we will help you get addresses.

Many of these groups' messages focus on "kitchen table" issues such as spiking gas prices, the Iran war, or tax breaks for billionaires while voters lose healthcare. Pick the message that resonates most for you, and find a postcard that reinforces that message.

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR MEDIA COVERAGE WITH THESE TOOLS

From the Michigan Creator Collaborative

Creators today are shaping how people understand their communities, their opportunities, and their future. But, without support, that work is harder--and often unsustainable. Check out their website for support and ideas.

From Eastside Alliance

Dawn Drozd of Eastside Indivisible Alliance has built a great press outreach template for getting the most out of your media coverage at events. With her encouragement and through months of persistent work, the Metro Detroit groups who worked with her saw improved press and more accurate reporting on their events. Dawn is generously offering to work with other regions in the state to help groups set up or improve their own media coverage. She reviewed her successes at April’s Leader meeting - here are the two documents she developed to help groups get a solid start.

Michigan Press Collaboration Proposal

Michigan Press Coordinator Job Description

Questions? Contact Dawn Drozd at drozddawn@gmail.com or 586-531-1191

RESOURCES FOR YOUR GROUPS FROM NATIONAL

Don't forget the money on the table to boost your events. Check out the Solidarity in Action Grants here.
Sign the Election Protection Pledge to receive updates and resources.
Neighbor2Neighbor provides a unique method of outreach to voters in your neighborhood. Check it out here.

RESOURCES TO AMPLIFY YOUR MESSAGING AND OUTREACH

PARTNER TOOL KITS

COMMON CAUSE

MUTUAL AID RESOURCES

FOOD BANK INFORMATION - Here is an updated link for food bank information created by Macomb Defenders Rising.

CALLING REFERENCE GUIDE and MUTUAL AID PRIMER courtesy of Indivisible Metro Detroit.

CHECK OUT FIVE CALLS

Many local groups are having their members use this great tool to contact their legislators about the hot topics in front of them. This could not be easier. Sign up here.

Here's another link for a Michigan-centered calling reference cou

COMMON CAUSE

Common Cause has a really easy tool that lets you enter your home address and receive a roster with contact information for all the elected officials who represent you — from city council members to U.S. senators. And, when you’re ready to make a call, the League of Conservation Voters offers a comprehensive guide on best practices.

CARD CAMPAIGN FOR DEMOCRACY makes it easy for even the shyest activist to get their voice heard. Here is a downloadable postcard protesting Donald Trump and "his rape of our democracy and country." Sign up for their emails here and pick up the 2025 Card campaigns.

USE THE POWER OF YOUR SPENDING!

Check out Goods Unite Us (link here; there is also an app) for verifying who the merchant may be supporting before you purchase!

RURAL ORGANIZING

Our Partners at Rural Organizing have compiled a comprehensive list of their resources. This includes everything from past debriefs to how-to steps for organizing mutual aid events. You can access it here:

Rural Organizing, Rural Host Network Resource Document

POLITICAL ACTION ROADMAP FOR MICHIGANDERS

Political action is a way to support your community and fight for a society that is feminist, anti-racist, and pro-democratic. Casting your vote is just one of the many tools at your disposal! Here are some additional ways you may already be engaging in political action. This resource can be used to help scaffold new people to the movement - share with your community members.

OPTICS ARE IMPORTANT

The American public judges who's right and wrong almost exclusively based on the images they see on the news and on social media. This makes managing protest optics absolutely critical for movement success. This document has many suggestions on how to put our best foot forward.

WHERE YOU GET YOUR NEWS MATTERS

Sources for news matter. Check these out.

COLLABORATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME!

SWIM WEBPAGE AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Bookmark our Website: www.statewideindivisiblemi.com. The website is a repository of resources and network partners amassed since 2017.

Members: Send us your announcements, events, photos or writings to our email at info@statewideindivisiblemi.com! We need to share our successes - we're better together!

SOCIAL MEDIA

BlueSky: @mi-swim.bsky.social

Facebook: SWIM (StateWide Indivisible Michigan) Members

Instagram: statewideindivisiblemichigan

YouTube: newly available for groups to post to @SWIM-StateWideIndMI

For the time being, we maintain our Facebook & Instagram accounts, but foresee a time in the not-distant future when we will leave these platforms like we (and many others) did X.

Join us on BlueSky!

USING THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO AMPLIFY GOOD NEWS

Truth Bomb Toolkit – this is a very comprehensive toolkit with EVERYTHING you might want to know about Truth Bombs and how to do them.
Into Action Labs allows you to download hundreds of gifs and add your own message(s).
Indivisible's Trainings-to-Go - Slides, handouts, discussion questions, as well as notes/directions for the person leading the space. Start with a pilot batch of 3 Trainings-to-Go: Recruitment 101, Indivisible 101, and Tools for Building Inclusive Groups! These are located in the Support Hub along with a lot more! Questions or suggestions can be sent to training@indivisible.org.