A statewide group of around 100 organizations is banding together to create what they call the “We Make Michigan Coalition.”
The coalition is made up of a variety of grassroots community groups, faith leaders, labor unions and others.
The coalition says it’s mobilizing to make sure that every legally cast vote in the state is counted, no matter how long that takes.
They denounced rhetoric from some, including President Donald Trump, who suggest that mail-in ballots or counting past Election Night are indicators of electoral fraud or irregularities.
Branden Snyder is Executive Director of Detroit Action, one of the members of the coalition. He said with every indication of record voter turnout, including a record number of absentee ballots, counting every vote will take time.
“That’s why one of the things we want to do utmost is preach patience around the electoral results, and make sure that we have the opportunity for all votes to be counted, and all voices to be heard,” Snyder said.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has suggested that we may not know Michigan’s vote totals until Thursday or Friday.
Some coalition members have also trained hundreds of people to be civil rights monitors at polling places across the state, to make sure no eligible voter is denied the right to vote.
“This is not just focused on making sure that every vote is counted, but also on making sure that every voter is able to cast their ballot, and to do so safely,” said Kate Mason, with the group Michigan United.
Mason said those monitors will be ready to combat and report and instances of voter suppression or intimidation.
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