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Rock the Vote!

Event held in Hancock

HANCOCK -- Area residents had the opportunity Saturday to learn of options in the upcoming midterm elections at the Rock the Vote community event. Community organizations gathered to put on this event and table there, including the League of Women Voters of the Copper Country, Voters Not Politicians and Keweenaw Indivisible.

League Board Member Elizabeth Benyi said voting is something everyone should do if they are willing and eligible. "We think that voting is a sacred right of every citizen and anybody that has the right to vote should be allowed to vote," she said. "We are very passionate about making sure that people know what their voting rights are."

In 2022, Michigan voters passed Proposal 2, which established absentee ballot voting to every person who wanted to do so. Combines with county-wide early voting and voting in person on election day -- voting is more accessible than ever.

Keweenaw Indivisible Member Heather Mroz said she wants to make sure people know they have options. "If you exercise your right to vote within the window of time that you can vote you make it more likely that you're going to be able to do it by being able to do it on your own schedule."

Aside from the informational tables at the event, there were food vendors, community partners and music by local musicians.

While voter turnout is historically higher during presidential election years, midterm voter turnout hovered between 40% and 50% over the last few election cycles. Voters Not Politicians Representative Valorie Troesch said it is important for people not only to be able to vote, but to do so.

"People who vote are the ones who determine who are going to have as leaders; who are going to make the decisions for us," she said. "There's a lot of things on the ballot that we elect directly. We have two ballot proposals on the ballot."

Handouts were given by multiple community organizations listing what was on each proposal. Proposal One calls for a state constitutional convention. It appears automatically on the ballot every 16 years. Proposal Two limits the amount utilities and government contracting corporations can donate to political causes.

Many attendees said they are planning to vote in November. "My plan for this election is to vote on election day," Ken Drissen said. "I think it's very important for people to vote this year more than any midterm election."

Hancock resident Alan Salmi said he voted by mail already, due to mobility issues. "It's really important because a lot of people don't think about disabled folks when they think about these rights like voting and that sort of thing," he said. "But if you can't participate in society, what does that mean about you and what your worth is?"

Yasmin Fitzgerald, said she plans to vote on election day and is excited to do so. "We all have the right to vote; these things affect us," she said. "We should exercise these rights. People should be informed. This is how we make change."

To learn more about voting for this midterm election, visit michigan.gov/sos/elections