Protecting the Vote in the Great Lakes Region

Protecting the Vote in the Great Lakes Region

Democracy Program Officer Melanie McElroy joined the Joyce Foundation in 2023. Melanie is a Michigan native and veteran organizer who, prior to joining Joyce, led Michigan’s largest grassroots voting rights and election protection coalition. She also led the democracy department at Michigan Voices, the statewide civic engagement table, for five years and served as executive director for Common Cause Michigan for five years before that. She is most proud of Michigan’s passage of voter access reforms and an independent redistricting commission in 2018. Melanie’s team and grassroots, BIPOC-led organizations worked to ensure the fair implementation of these policies, resulting in Michigan’s increased voter participation and the passage of new district maps that more fairly represent the electorate.

In her current role, Melanie oversees the Democracy program’s recently expanded portfolio, which includes voter access and engagement in Native, multilingual and disability-rights communities. We asked Melanie to tell us more about how her grantees have prepared Great Lakes voters to make their voices heard in this election. 

Joyce Foundation (JF): Melanie, can you give us an overview of where voters may access accurate information in the Great Lakes region?

Melanie McElroy (MM): The best way to combat mis- and dis-information is to spread accurate information that is easy to understand and sheds transparency on voting, counting and certification processes. Trusted messengers armed with accessible, culturally competent information that explains voters’ rights and new election procedures help voters know what to expect at every step.

 Each of our states has a voting rights coalition where organizations come together to share information, support election officials, and protect voters. They work within a national network of legal experts and volunteers to manage the nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. Voters can call or text the hotline or website any time for information about where to vote, what to bring, and help troubleshoot issues with absentee ballots. Any incidents of voter intimidation, clerical errors or voters being turned away from voting can be reported to the Election Protection Hotline, allowing volunteer attorneys to swiftly troubleshoot and ensure each vote is counted.

JF: Among the states we support, whose process is a “model” that others should emulate, and whose is more harmful to voters? Give us a “scorecard,” if you will.

MM: I’m proud that my home state of Michigan has risen from one of the worst in the nation to the very top in voter-friendly election policies during the years I worked on democracy reforms. This progress is partly due to decades of organizing and mobilizing around democracy issues and also thanks to the dedication and expertise of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Michigan voters can now enjoy no-excuse absentee voting, online voter registration, pre-registration of 16- and 17-year-olds, early voting, and even Election Day voter registration. Minnesota passed legislation in 2023 and 2024 that expanded its election policies with many of the same reforms, in addition to passing a State Voting Rights Act. Thanks to the leadership of Secretary of State Steve Simon and voting rights advocates, people on probation and parole now have their voting rights restored in Minnesota. Poll workers now have legal protections, and state funding was secured for election administration.

However, some states have slid backwards by adopting anti-voter policies that create unnecessary barriers for eligible voters, like Ohio’s new strict photo I.D. requirements. Illinois is a model for others in its successful in-jail voting by opening a polling location and voter education programs inside Cook County Jail. Since voters do not lose their right to vote until they are convicted and serving a sentence, people in jail awaiting trial have every right to cast a ballot, and Joyce grantees like the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee and Chicago Votes are helping other jurisdictions consider similar programs to their Unlock Civics effort in Cook County.

JF: With your extensive background in organizing and working in and around elections, what has changed the most?

MM: Election Day used to just be the first Tuesday in November. We spent the weekend mobilizing people, got up early that Tuesday morning, and stayed up late that night to celebrate or commiserate with friends, depending on the outcome. Campaigns, funding and volunteer programs all ramped up and down within six months, and then it felt like we got a break from the election hustle until next cycle. But this has drastically changed over the last decade in many states across the country. With options to vote early, either by mail or in person for weeks or months leading up to Election Day, the first Tuesday in November is now the last day to vote.

Ballot drop boxes and early vote centers are not all that is new under these new policies. Election officials, campaigns and voting rights organizations now work year-round with more boots on the ground to cover these extended voting periods. Philanthropy has had to evolve to meet the changing needs of organizations nationwide. Investments are needed earlier each year, and costs of grassroots campaigns have increased, but the tradeoff has been worth it, with higher voter participation and greater accessibility to our democracy.

Another palpable change has been the increased polarization and apathy of overwhelmed voters nationwide. This has created concerns about potential political violence that were less realistic a decade ago.

While we’re nowhere near actually voting online in the near future, technological advancements like online voter registration and online absentee ballot requests have increased access to voting for students, seniors, people with disabilities, and many more. Tracking ballots through online dashboards is convenient and crucial for ensuring transparency in the process, as it combats conspiracy theories and fosters confidence in the democratic system.

JF: What inspired you to do this type of work? Why are you passionate about it?

MM: I have worked in electoral politics at all levels of government in addition to nonpartisan democracy reform since I first volunteered on a gubernatorial campaign in 2006. I prefer working in nonpartisan and policy spaces more than the campaign side because it’s the most authentic way to meet people where they are. I love helping people identify how policy changes in areas like housing, childcare, education debt, and rising utility costs could improve their lives—and how civic engagement can bring these changes to life.

When it comes to making systemic change, I believe that voting is one of many tools that Americans have, but it doesn’t stop there. Civic engagement must happen year-round by holding elected officials accountable, giving public comment, serving on commissions, and organizing our neighbors toward our common goals. Since I was raised on a family farm, the issues that motivate me are food sovereignty, regenerative agriculture and closing gaps in access to nutrition for a more just food system.

When I was coalition leader for Michigan’s voting rights and election protection effort, my favorite part of my job was training community leaders, organizations and small businesses to layer democracy education, voting rights, and election protection onto everything they did. Trusted messengers are key to meeting people where they are. Accurate information from local businesses, such as barber shops, service providers, or places of worship, leads to higher engagement in our democracy. 

JF: What’s the most important thing voters should know, particularly in our battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin? How can they best prepare themselves for a seamless voting experience?

MM: There is an understandable uncertainty going into Election Day 2024. We should all remember that results may take a long time and that there could be misinformation and confusion regardless of who wins. Although many voters have already cast their ballots, we could still experience long lines at polling places on Tuesday. It’s important to remember to stay calm, trust the process, and look out for one another. If you attend a polling place that is inaccessible to wheelchairs or does not have its audio-assistance device available to use, or if voters are being turned away for any reason, call 866-OUR-VOTE. Volunteers associated with the Election Protection network are nearby and can help.

I have been giving my friends and family the following reminders, so I will also leave them with you:

• Voters are allowed to take a cheat sheet into their polling place to vote.
• Find a sample ballot on your state’s election website, research all down-ballot, judicial and local races and initiatives in the comfort of your home.
• If you need assistance at the polls, you can take anyone with you to translate or physically help you vote, besides your employer or your union representative. You also have access to the VAT, a device that reads your ballot to you.
• Become familiar with I.D. requirements in your state.
• Leave any campaign gear (hats, shirts, pins) at home, as it will not be allowed in polling places.
• If you are in line before the close of polls, stay in line because they must stay open to let everyone vote who was in line prior to the scheduled closing time.
• Bring water and a snack if you think you’ll wait in line. But most importantly, bring a family member or a friend.

We are so lucky to participate in this uniquely American process, and the end of this Election is just the beginning of our collective movement to make this nation a better place to call home. The presidential election might just come down to our Great Lakes states, and I am confident that our voting rights coalitions will protect voters’ rights and help election officials administer a fair and representative election.