The following information appears on the website: Vote with confidence: A guide from the Detroit Documenters

If you want to see change, one thing you can do is vote.

About half of registered voters in Detroit cast ballots in the 2020 general election, and turnout is typically much lower for primaries and in years without a presidential election. City turnout was just 34% in the 2022 gubernatorial election.

It’s never too early to start thinking about how you’ll vote, and the 2024 election season has already arrived in Michigan. The presidential primary is Feb. 27. It is the final day to cast your vote, but you can also vote ahead of time — and get prepared for the state primary on Aug. 6 and general election on Nov. 5. 

But before you think about who you’ll vote for, make sure you have the basics in check: know how to register to vote, how to receive and return your ballot on time and to the right place. 

Elections are your chance to decide who to hire for the job of public servant. We’re putting together a helpful voting guide unlike most others to help you through. Instead of telling people who to vote for and why, we’re here to help you find the resources to decide for yourself. 

How do you choose where to stand on issues affecting you? How do you best select candidates that will support your causes? Which candidates have the ability to actually create change? Our guide will help you take it step by step, in an easy to understand way — written for Detroiters, by your fellow Detroiters, the Detroit Documenters. We are in debt to Sonja Stuckey for proposing this project and getting it off the ground.

What’s in here and how to use it

The purpose of this voter guide is to equip you to make well-informed decisions before you cast your valuable vote. It will help you understand:

• The importance of a primary election
• Your own values and priorities
• Pitfalls to avoid
• The power of a public official 
• How to research a candidate
• How to cast your ballot

By the end, you should have a better understanding of how to vote to support your interests and tips for how to stay involved after the election to make sure officials are working for you. 

Visit the Vote with confidence: A guide from the Detroit Documenters webpage for the complete guide.