DETROIT (WXYZ) — A final push to energize voters in Detroit is the mission of a grassroots organization made up of people from all walks of life including our youth.
With one day until the election, they’re committed to improving turnout. They spent Monday on Detroit’s west side stressing the importance of making your vote count.
The door-to-door effort was part of a nonpartisan voter information campaign across the city called Detroit Votes 2022. It focused throughout the fall on communicating options to Detroiters, so they can choose the absentee or in-person option that best fits into their life, so they let their voice be heard.
Not everyone 7 Action News met with Monday had already decided to vote in Tuesday’s election, but a group known as the Human Fliers has been working to encourage more participation.
Previous statistics from the city clerk have showed a roughly 15% turnout, but for months, this group has knocked on doors and talked face to face with some who have been skeptical about participating.
We saw firsthand why achieving the goal of encouraging more voting across the city starts with listening.
“I don’t even know who to vote for and if I’m going to vote,” one Detroit resident said.
The resident admitted to being frustrated with politics of our time, but some dialogue and a message that too much is at stake to sit out would resonate with her a few minutes later.
Aside from the selection of candidates to choose from, the Human Fliers are also stressing how various proposals will have a tremendous impact for our state and the future these young volunteers will be living in.
The Human Fliers say it's starts with one thing.
“It’s all about education. We aren’t trying to push to one candidate or another. We are completely non-partisan and just sharing information about so many different ways you can vote now,” Sarah Collard with the Human Flier said.