Detroit mayoral race: Non-profit hopes to keep voters informed as election creeps up

Yahoo

a day ago

The Brief
Citizen Detroit is giving every mayoral candidate on the ballot in Detroit a chance to introduce themselves.
Former Detroit City Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel is the force behind this information campaign.
OAK PARK, Mich. (FOX 2) - Citizen Detroit is at it again, giving every candidate on the ballot in Detroit a chance to introduce themselves and make their case to the voters.
What they're saying
Former Detroit City Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel is the force behind this information campaign.
"We're making sure here that we give every single candidate an equal opportunity to be heard in their own voice about who they are and what their platform is," she said. "In this era of disinformation and half-truths, letting people speak authentically is really important."
From mayoral candidates to candidates for city council, city clerk, and police commissioner, the two-minute video is an opportunity for both the candidates and the people.
"I think the community's voices need to be heard, and they need to be heard at the ballot," said George Adams, Jr. District 5 City Council candidate. "The more people that come out and engage in this democratic process, the more opportunity there is to have the right leadership that we deserve."
"It's an opportunity for voters as well as those of us who are running," said mayoral candidate Saunteel Jenkins. "This is what the democratic process should be about—every candidate has an opportunity to talk to voters and get their message out, regardless of how much money they have or how much name recognition they have."
The videos will be available at Citizen Detroit and at all news stations and newspapers, but there's another way they're ensuring the younger generation is also informed.
Big picture view
Arabia Simeon, the co-founder of the app POGO—Politics On the Go joined podcaster friend Denzell Turner, host of Black Fridays Podcast. They are bringing informed politics to younger generations.
"Gen Z and Millennials make up more than 62% of eligible voters in the country. Right now, in Michigan, we have the highest youth voter turnout, but in cities like Detroit, the youth voter turnout is super low," said Simeon.
Not only does the app feature candidate videos, but it also works to show users which candidates most closely align with their concerns and views on important issues.
"What we're trying to do with POGO is give people an opportunity to learn about their candidates, cut through the noise, while also having it be a little bit enjoyable and relatable in ways that we haven't necessarily seen," Simeon said.
They are making sure voters of every age have access to important information and urging everyone to get out and vote.
"A lot of us listen to podcasts, a lot of us get our news from social media, so we're just trying to level the playing field," Simeon said.
The candidate videos will be available on all platforms later in June.