Get Out The Vote! (w/o 7/12/26)

The most important thing any American can do is to make a concerted plan to vote in this year’s elections. Check your voter registration status, learn all your voting options, and vote as early as you can. Educate yourself about the election process in your state and make sure that everyone you know does the same.

If you can, get involved in the election process. Sign up to be a poll worker, an election worker, a translator, or an election observer. Volunteer for a campaign or a civic group. Support nonprofit groups that are working to protect elections or help voters. Do what you can to support embattled local election officials and scared voters in your community. Whatever lane you pick, it’s important to do something.

Beyond participating in elections, Americans across the country should be prepared to stand up for democracy and free and fair elections. Voting rights don’t enforce themselves. Democratic values don’t sustain themselves. It’s on all of us to stand with our neighbors, speak out against injustice, hold public officials accountable, and mobilize peacefully to protect each other and our right to vote.

--Joyce Vance

IGGR has created a Get Out the Vote team. Please join us as we work to save Democracy! It’s up to us to take back our country and voting -- and encouraging others to vote -- is the way to do that. You can volunteer here.

Now is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their country. We need EVERYONE to take action to save our Democracy. Even if you’d rather not, even if it makes you uncomfortable, even if you aren’t sure what to do. If YOU don’t do it, who will? No one will save us, except us. And that means YOU.

Here is a list of all kinds of different GOTV opportunities -- find one that fits your circumstances and then make a commitment to DO SOMETHING. From today until November.

For People Who Want to Talk to Other People

• Neighbor 2 Neighbor (N2N) is Indivisible’s relational organizing tool that focuses on building real relationships, not just transactional conversations. The first 2026 N2N campaign is focused on offering ICE preparedness resources, ensuring that our neighbors have the information they need to stay safe and informed. Connecting with your neighbors now for this action will make it easier for future GOTV actions. You don’t need to be an expert; you just need to show up. Sign up here. And if you’re feeling nervous, bring a friend! Seriously, it makes it way more fun. 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

• Be part of the WAVE. If you have used WAVE (We All Vote Everytime) in the past, this is exciting news for you. They have 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.

• One Team Michigan Grand Rapids Values Canvassing. Saturdays at 10 am and Sundays at 1 pm. Join the Michigan Democrats to talk to voters in and around Grand Rapids about the issues that matter most. We’ll be talking about our values as the Democratic Party, creating momentum across the state, and building relationships with voters. Whether this is your first time knocking doors or you’re a seasoned pro, we will provide plenty of training and all the materials you need to feel comfortable and ready to go. Help us lay the groundwork and put in the effort to earn the voters’ support. Sign up here.

For People Who Want to GOTV from Home and/or Write to Voters

• Sign up for Postcards to Voters, a group of American volunteers who write postcards to targeted voters in the hope of increasing Democratic turnout in close, key elections across the country. This is something you can do from the comfort of your own home, whenever you have a moment.

• Write letters for Vote Forward. Vote Forward is a broad-based national effort to encourage voter turnout by participating by sending millions of letters to potential voters in underserved communities in key states. The majority of their letter writing campaigns are nonpartisan, focusing on mobilizing potential voters in historically marginalized communities—such as people of color, women, and young voters. This is another thing you can do from the comfort of your own home, whenever you have a moment.

• Let’s Rock The Vote! If you need a creative outlet we have two upcoming projects for you! Kent Dems volunteers, working with Indivisible of Greater Grand Rapids & the Michigan Dems One Team to create 30,000 painted stones that we will distribute across the county before the August 4 Primary Election. Drop in at Kent Dems HQ, 301 Fuller Avenue NE anytime Mon - Fri, 10:30 am - 4 pm to help write postcards to our neighbors. Whether you can stay for 15 minutes or a few hours, your time makes a difference. Every postcard helps connect voters with the information they need.

For People Who Want to Help with Voter Registration Efforts

• Help Ensure Voter Registrations are Active and Voters are Prepared. This is the time to be working on voter registration and to help make sure that registered voters have active registrations and know what they will need at the polls to cast their ballots for 2026. The Trump administration is working hard to intimidate voters, to purge voter rolls, and to suppress the vote. Share this website with EVERYONE you know, in every state across the US so they can verify they are registered to vote: Vote.org offers a one-stop shop to double-check one’s registration status; if a citizen is not registered, they can sign up in minutes through the site.

• Voter Registration Opportunities with The League of Women Voters of the Greater Grand Rapids Area. The LWVGGRA is working with area high schools, apartment complexes, and community organizations to provide voter registration and education events. They continue to add additional voter registration events as they are scheduled. Please take a moment to review the current list here and sign up to volunteer. Keep this link and check back periodically. Additional events are being added as requests come in.

• Wednesday, July 15 at 6:30 pm. Voter Registration Training. Kent Dems HQ, 301 Fuller Avenue NE. Get trained and learn how you can help every eligible voter make their voice heard! Registering Voters is important because many elections have been decided by a just handful of votes, and voting helps ensure that communities are fully represented. Whether you’re new to voter registration or need a refresher, this training will provide the information and confidence you need to help others get registered. Sign up here.

Protect the Election and Ensure Every Vote Is Counted

• Share this video about changes in the USPS postmarking policy with everyone you know to make sure their votes are counted.

• The Election Protection Corps is a grassroots network of volunteers located in Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, and Ohio 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 Protection 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. Join the Election Protection Corps