Mayor Mike Duggan joined Reverend Jesse Jackson, Councilmember Lopez and other local leaders at Cass Technical High School on Wednesday to encourage young Detroiters to register to vote. The Mayor and Rev. Jackson declared Wednesday, September 7, 2016 the first ever ‘Detroit Voter Registration Day’ to generate greater participation in the upcoming November elections.
“This November, Detroiters won’t just be voting for our next President. We will be electing the first board to the new Detroit Public Schools Community District,” Mayor Duggan said. “The future of our educational systems depends on who shows up at the polls in November. We want to make sure young Detroiters know their voices matter, and the best way help shape Detroit’s future is to vote.”
Detroit Voter Registration Day is part of the Rainbow Push Coalition’s initiative to register new African American voters across the country. Reverend Jackson and the Rainbow Push Coalition work with schools and churches to target future voters and engage young people in the electoral process.
“What makes America great is we have the right to fight for the right,” Reverend Jackson said. “One of the best weapons we have in that fight – the fight for freedom, justice and equality – is the vote. Every 18-year-old – the next generation of freedom fighters – should have a diploma in one hand and a voter registration card in the other hand.”
Voter Registration Deadline – October 11, 2016
A number of local surrogates joined the Mayor and Reverend to stress the importance of voting and remind Detroiters about the upcoming registration deadline. Local Detroit talent, DJ BJ of radio 107.5, made an appearance to rally the students to register. Activists from the Detroit chapter of the Black Male Engagement community group also joined the Mayor to speak with students about the benefits of voting.
As part of the Detroit Voter Registration Day push, volunteers mobilized across two other Detroit schools to greet students in cafeterias and common areas during their school day. Volunteers hosted registration booths at both Mumford High School on Detroit’s West Side and Western International High School of Southwest Detroit.
Voter Registration Process
To register to vote, you must be all of the following:
- A U.S. citizen
- At least 18 years old by Election Day
- A resident of Michigan
- A resident of the city or township where you are applying to register to vote
Step 1: Fill Out an Application
Step 2: Submit Your Application
If you have never registered to vote in Michigan and choose to mail in your application, you will need to meet an identification requirement. This means you must:
- Enter your driver’s license number or personal identification card number where requested on the form. OR
- Send a copy of one of the following forms of identification with your application:
- A photocopy of your driver’s license or personal ID card, or
- A photocopy of a paycheck stub, utility bill, bank document or government document that lists both your name and your address.
Tip:
- The same address must be used for voter registration and license and ID purposes
Step 3: Vote!
When you go to the polls on Election Day, you will be asked to present voter identification. If you do not have acceptable photo ID, you can vote by signing an affidavit.
Acceptable photo ID includes:
- Michigan driver’s license
- Michigan personal identification card
- Federal or state government-issued photo identification
- U.S. passport
- Military identification card with photo
- Student identification with photo from a high school or an accredited institution of higher education, such as a college or university
- Tribal identification card with photo
Tip:
- If you do not have a driver’s license or other acceptable photo identification, you can get a state identification card at your local Secretary of State branch office for $10
You Can Register to Vote at the Clerk’s Office in Detroit:
2 Woodward Ave., Room 502
Detroit, MI 48226
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