Voter Turnout is a Team Effort

At the beginning of September, Dwelling Place started doing outreach with community partners to strategize about voting in our community. The group, which consisted of residents, the city clerk, members of the GRPL, Grand Rapids Proactive, Women’s League of Voters, Urban Core Collective, Well Design Studio, and more, worked together to brainstorm projects and to create more impact. The team convened “organically” as the city clerk, Joel Hondorp, describes. Hondorp emphasizes the importance of creating voting awareness in the community, and recognizes how much more can be done when it's approached by a team. "[This initiative is] a partnership that we’re all working together for one common goal: to make voting more accessible and better understood so the voter is better informed when they do go cast their ballot.” The projects produced by the group have ranged in medium, target audience, and scope to reach all of the nooks and crannies of the community.

 

One project involved inviting Hondorp who, as the city clerk, is one of the only people who can legally collect completed ballots, to visit two Dwelling Place apartment communities on October 8. This allowed residents to turn in their absentee ballots, apply for one, register, or fill out a ballot and directly submit it. "Every voter approaches voting from a different area or different comfort, and if we can come to them, it might make them even more comfortable,” remarks Hondorp. Voter registration tables have been staffed by volunteers at five different Dwelling Place apartment communities to do more outreach and engagement during mid September. 

 

One of the more digitally-minded projects this group is working on is a wealth of social media designs created by Well Design Studio that partners can tailor to their branding needs and to the limitations of several social media platforms. There have been numerous graphics made to highlight the processes for voting in person, by mail, online, as well at voter deadlines and absentee ballots. 

 

Wende Randall, of the Kent County Essential Needs Task Force (ENTF), says of the team of partners, "We recognized a connectedness between civic engagement and essential needs. It was a natural thing to say, 'Let’s work together and share what we are doing.'" An example of this teamwork is the ENTF's work with the League of Women Voters to provide online voter information sessions. Randall reflects, "All of the people involved want to support the efforts of other organizations, [...] making sure there aren’t gaps in what’s available." 

 

This season, it is our community's common goal to increase voter engagement rates and get the word out. "[Voting] is the only way change can happen; it's not going to happen overnight! It’s our civic duty and it’s what we are supposed to do,” urges Drent.