The Detroit League hosts candidate forums, town halls, and educational events to introduce political candidates and educate voters on issues relative to the community and country. Below is a selection of presentations, important dates, and educational opportunities (virtual, in-person, or hybrid).
NOTE: Events are listed chronologically and are FREE unless noted with a dollar symbol ($). To view recordings and info regarding past events (including the Census, MI Citizens Redistricting Commission, and MI’s voting laws), see our Recordings/Past Events webpage.
July is Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July as an opportunity to honor the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. Disability Pride Month happens every July to mark the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed on July 26, 1990. The first celebration was Disability Pride Day, which took place in Boston in 1990. Chicago hosted the first Disability Pride Parade in 2004. Now, events nationwide empower people with disabilities to take pride in who they are. Here’s more about the history of Disability Pride Month and the story behind the flag.
Read the Disability Pride Month blog for more information.
LWV Detroit Game Night ⏤ Friday, July 5, 2024 from 4 to 8pm
Join the Detroit League Board of Directors and local League members for Game Night at the home of League secretary Rhonda Craig: 19000 Wildemere ・Detroit, MI 48221.
Admission is $5. We will have raffles and refreshments available. Hope to see you there!
Game Night is a fundraiser for the Detroit League of Women Voters. LWV Detroit is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization dedicated to improving democracy through voter education, issue advocacy, and citizen participation.
For more information, contact the Detroit League at lwvdetroit@gmail.com or 313-288-9590.
LWV Grosse Pointe and LWV Detroit to Conduct Private Candidate Forum for the 13th House District (Tuesday, July 9, 2024) ⏤ Recording will be available for viewing on or after July 10.
The League of Women Voters of Grosse Pointe is partnering with the League of Women Voters of Detroit to conduct a virtual candidate forum for the Michigan House of Representatives, 13th District, on Tuesday, July 9.
The forum will be moderated by Rhonda Craig, LWV Detroit Secretary, and will feature the following candidates:
- Martell D. Bivings, R
- Shakira Lynn Hawkins, D
- Shri Thanedar, D
- Mary Waters, D
This forum is not open to the public. The session will be recorded and may be viewed on the LWVGP YouTube channel and the LWVDetroit Candidate Forums 2024 webpage on or after July 10.
The public is encouraged to submit questions for the candidates. Due to time constraints, the League may prioritize or combine questions based on general interest and to avoid redundancy. The question submission form is available on the League’s website at www.lwvgrossepointe.org. The deadline to submit questions is Monday, July 8 at 12noon.
Non-partisan candidate forums are part of LWV history. Leagues nationwide continue to hold debates and forums for local and state offices.
Voters can find information about any candidate on the League of Women Voters non-partisan Voter Guide at Vote411.org as of June 27.
For more information, contact Lauri Read, LWVGP Vice President, Voter Services at lwvgrosspointe@gmail.com.
Celebrate Disability Pride with Detroit Disability Power and the City of Detroit ⏤ Friday, July 12 @ 11am to 2:30pm
Join the City of Detroit Office of Disability Affairs and the Disability Awareness Employee Resource Group for a Disability Pride Celebration on Friday, July 12 from 11am to 2:30pm at Spirit Plaza ・2 Woodward Avenue ・Detroit (48226). Experience exhibitors, food trucks, a panel, and celebrations of disability pride.
Detroit Disability Power (DDP) will be an exhibitor. We’re looking for volunteers to help at our table. If you are interested in volunteering, even if just for an hour, email our community organizer at NaJaRee@DetroitDisabilityPower.org.
If you can’t volunteer, we still hope to see you there enjoying the day! Stop by the DDP table and say hello!
Detroit Disability Power DAY OF ACTION ⏤ Saturday, July 20, 2024
As we approach a critical juncture in our democracy, the urgency to mobilize and protect our rights has never been greater. With the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn the Chevron precedent, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is at significant risk. This makes our involvement in the upcoming election crucial.
Your voice and action can safeguard our community’s future. Get Involved: Election 2024 Opportunities⏤
From now until the general election on November 5th, we have a range of adaptive and customizable volunteer opportunities designed to suit any access need. Here’s how you can make a difference:
- Join us for door-to-door canvassing to engage with our community and encourage voter participation. Click to Canvass
- Help us reach out to voters from the comfort of your home, ensuring everyone knows the importance of voting for leaders who champion disability rights. Click to Phone Bank
- Station outside key polling locations to cheer on voters, assist them, pass out literature and snacks, and report any instances of voter intimidation or disenfranchisement. Click for Election Protection
- Ensure polling stations are accessible and compliant with ADA standards, advocating for necessary changes where they fall short. (Only 16% of polls are ADA compliant.) Click for Poll Access Audit Team
Join us for our Day of Action: July 20 from 10am to 3pm @ The Love Building (4731 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI 48208)
This event will provide hands-on experience to empower you as a defender of democracy and a champion of disability justice. Day of Action also includes:
1. Training Sessions: Learn effective canvassing, phone banking, and election protection techniques. Build skills you can use throughout your career!
2. Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow advocates and community members. Grow your network of allies.
3. Resource Distribution: Load up on materials and information to support your volunteer efforts. Receive DDP swag items and election materials.
Why Your Involvement Matters
Voting with disability justice in mind means electing leaders who will:
1. Protect and enhance the ADA.
2. Ensure accessible and inclusive policies.
3. Champion the rights and dignity of all individuals with disabilities. Together, we can make our voices heard and protect our rights. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to disability justice. We look forward to standing with you in this crucial effort to safeguard our community’s future.
IN -PERSON EARLY VOTING IN MICHIGAN Mandatory Minimum of 9 Days of Early Voting ⏤ Begins Saturday, July 27 and Ends Sunday, August 4
What is early voting?
Early voting is the opportunity to cast a ballot in person before Election Day. For voters, the early experience is similar to voting at a polling place on Election Day. At early voting sites, voters are issued a ballot; once it is completed, they can insert it directly into a tabulator.
Where does early voting take place?
Early voting takes place at “early voting sites,” which operate similarly to an Election Day polling location but can be set up to serve voters from more than one city or township. Early voting sites also serve more voters than an Election Day polling location can serve.
When is early voting?
Michigan’s constitution requires cities and townships to offer early voting in each statewide and federal election for at least nine consecutive days, beginning on the second Saturday before the election and ending on the Sunday before the election. Each early voting site must be open for at least eight hours. Communities may provide additional days of early voting and extended times.
For the August 6 Statewide Primary Election, early voting must start by Saturday, July 16 and end on Sunday, August 4. Visit Michigan.gov/EarlyVoting for early voting sites in your community.
Statewide Primary Election ⏤ Tuesday, August 6, 2024
Polls will be open from 7am to 8pm on August 6, Election Day.
Visit VOTE411.org for detailed election info, such as registering to vote or checking your voter registration, what’s on your ballot, finding your polling place, and much more.
AAUW of MI Annual Celebration of Women’s Equality Day ⏤ Saturday, August 24, 2024 @ 11:30am
Register now for AAUW of Michigan’s annual celebration of Women’s Equality Day on Saturday, August 24, 2024 from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. This year’s observance will again be at the St. Mary’s Cultural Center in Livonia. The event features a keynote panel of the three top-ranking women leaders at Wayne State University: President Kimberly Andrews Espy, PhD; Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Laurie Lauzon Clabo, PhD, RN, FAAN; and Bethany Wicksall Gielczyl, Senior Vice President of Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.
AAUW of Michigan sponsors this special event. We want to recognize our partners in women’s rights and advocacy: Coalition of Labor Union Women/Metro Detroit; International Federation of Business Professional Women; International League for Peace and Freedom/Metro Detroit; League of Women Voters; Michigan ACE Women’s Network; NOW; Women’s Zonta International and others.
Our goal is to raise our voices in unity to pass the Equal Rights Amendment! The event agenda includes an ERA update.
National Voter Registration Day ⏤ September 17, 2024
National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan civic holiday celebrating our democracy. Since its kickoff in 2012, the holiday and its team of thousands of Partners* have worked to get over 5 million Americans registered to vote in time for their next trip to the ballot box.
Celebrated each September, National Voter Registration Day involves dedicated partners from all over the country hitting the streets for a single star-spangled awesome day of coordinated field, digital, and media action focused squarely on growing our shared democracy.
What it’s about: According to U.S. Census data from 2020, as many as 1 in 4 eligible Americans are not registered to vote. Every year, millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register. National Voter Registration Day seeks to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities during a single 24 hour democracy blitz to reach tens of thousands of voters who may not register otherwise.
*Partners make National Voter Registration Day’s annual nonpartisan celebration of democracy possible:
- Public Libraries
- Food Pantries
- Human Service Organizations
- College Campuses
- Everyday Individuals
- Local and State Chapters of the League of Women Voters
- Fire Departments
- Animal Shelters
- Chambers of Commerce
- You!
The holiday is endorsed by the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED), the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), and the National Association of Election Officials (The Election Center).
Michigan Student Voting Summit ⏤ Friday, September 20, 2024 @ Wayne State University・10am to 4pm
Join the Campus Vote Project for the 2024 Michigan Student Voting Summit on Friday, September 20, at Wayne State University, Student Center ・Gullen Mall ・Detroit, MI 48202 (10am to 4pm).
The summit’s mission is to bring together students, teachers, faculty, administrators, election officials, and community partners from high schools, colleges, and universities across Michigan to learn from each other, collaborate, and build a robust state-wide network to advance student voting participation.
This is a free event with food provided. To support summit attendees, travel stipends are available to assist with travel costs. The summit will also be live-streamed for those who cannot attend in person.
High School and college students are encouraged to attend. This is a free event, but registration is required. The summit will have breakout sessions focused on high school and college voter engagement.
Hosted by the Campus Vote Project, Michigan Department of State, and Wayne State University.
ELECTION DAY ⏤ Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Polls will be open from 7am to 8pm on August 6, Election Day.
Visit VOTE411.org for detailed election information, such as how to register to vote or check your voter registration, what’s on your ballot, where to find your polling place, and more.
LWVMI Biennual Convention ⏤ May 16-18, 2025
The 2025 LWVMI Convention is in Grand Rapids from May 16 to 18, 2025!
Mark your calendars.