With Michigan’s primary election taking place in just over a week, Michigan Radio is today announcing our participation in the America Amplified Election 2022 initiative. This national initiative plans to empower voters ahead of the 2022 mid-term elections and promote community engagement journalism. Funded by The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), America Amplified helps public media stations across 25 states, including Michigan Radio, ensure that American citizens have the facts they need to participate in local, state and Congressional elections this fall.
Michigan Radio’s America Amplified Election 2022 initiative is launching this week with a variety of community engagement activities. One of these is a unique online tool that allows the public to submit questions related to the election voting process. These questions will be answered using nonpartisan election information sources, and will help answer questions about how to vote, where to vote, and what you might need to have when you show up to the poll. It’s designed to ensure that voters are equipped with the information they need to vote and understand how elections are run and kept secure. You can submit a question now on Michigan Radio’s Election 2022 webpage here: Election 2022 (michiganradio.org)
This Election 2022 webpage also contains all of Michigan Radio’s news stories about this year’s elections, including interviews with the five candidates trying to win the Republican Party's nomination for governor. It is a resource to learn about the candidates and issues on the ballot, as well as the voting process.
Also, this Wednesday, the station will host one of its popular “Issues & Ale” discussions in Grand Rapids previewing Michigan’s August 2nd primary election. The public is invited to this free event taking place at Celebration Cinema Studio Park in downtown Grand Rapids, where some of the key races on the primary election ballot will be discussed. More information about that event is here: Issues & Ale: Michigan’s Primary Election Preview (michiganradio.org)
“Joining America Amplified gives Michigan Radio the chance to build on our long-standing commitment to engaging and informing our community,” said Michigan Radio Program Director Matt Shafer Powell. “We are excited to bring additional resources to better understand what our communities need to know about election processes and election security.”
In 2018, less than 60% of eligible voters in Michigan voted in the mid-term election, according to Ballotpedia.org. The recent Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey indicates that many Americans (44%) cannot name all three branches of the federal government and do not understand basic facts about how government works. With this context in mind, Michigan Radio and America Amplified aim to inform everyone about their voting rights and election processes, as well as build civic literacy.
“Voting is the foundation of a democracy, and we want to ensure that all eligible citizens have the information they need to exercise their right to vote,” CPB President and CEO Pat Harrison said when announcing the America Amplified expansion. “Public media, with more than 1,500 locally managed and operated stations, is ideally situated to engage all citizens, and America Amplified’s listening-first approach will help build trust in the process.”
