Things You Can Do This Week

US Congress in Recess

• The Senate and House of Representatives are in recess until November 9, 2026. With both the House and the Senate in recess it is likely that if you call it will be a voice mail situation.

Tips for making phone calls to your Electeds

Remember to use the 5Calls App. Go to wherever you get your apps, find 5Calls, and download it. Here’s more info about 5Calls:

• Sometimes the materials listed in the calls section of IGGR’s weekly report will be the same or similar to what 5Calls suggests. Sometimes it will be other issues that also seem important.

• The 5Calls App gives a well summarized outline about the issue in question and a script you can use when calling senators and representatives.

• Best of all, the App provides a link to your senators’ and representative’s phone numbers so you don’t have to dial them.

• You can make multiple calls about the issues that concern you or you can summarize your concerns and list them in your call. Representative Scholten’s staff has expressed a preference for one call listing multiple issues.

• Whichever way you decide to call, always give your name and street address so the staff will know you are a constituent. Unfortunately, senators and representatives only want to hear from constituents, which seems counter intuitive when the issues in question are national but they want to get reelected, so they only want to hear from constituents.

Reliable and trustworthy sources of information can be found by visiting the websites for the Library of Congress, Congress.gov, and Senate.gov. The Bridge is an online newspaper about Michigan issues which is also a good source.

• The Senate will be in recess beginning August 10, returning on September 11

If you can take the time, read Congress Has A Lot On Its Agenda and a Short Window of Time (estimated read time: eight minutes). It provides a good overview of what the major issues before recesses in both Houses. Another good summary of the news and what we might want to call our Senators and Representatives about before the recess is the On Politics: What Did I Miss?

The most important call to make before both Houses recess is to oppose the Budget Reconciliation Bill which is presently in the House Budget Committee and includes the provisions of the voter suppression bill, the SAVE Act. The Reconciliation Bill would bypass the 60 vote rule in the Senate to pass the legislation, meaning the Republicans could pass it even if all of the Democratic Senators voted against it.

Remember to look at and use the 5 Calls app that lists suggested calls to the US House of Representatives and Senate. If you do not have the app, take a look at it to see if it provides you with a good resource in addition to IGGR’s newsletter.

1) Call Your Senators

Senator Gary Peters: (202) 224-6221 

Senator Elyse Slotkin: (202) 224-4822 

• • Demand enforcement of laws against using taxpayer money being used for political propaganda and blatantly partisan ads. (Section 718, Division E of Consolidated Appropriations Act), “No part of any appropriation contained in this or any other Act shall be used directly or indirectly,...for publicity or propaganda purposes within the U.S. not heretofore authorized by Congress.” 5 U.S.C section 3107. Homeland Security Taps $20 M in Taxpayer Funds for Pro-Trump Ads. The ads are touting what a great president Trump is and how MAGA is great for all Americans. The ads are being shown during football games and during other events. Publication of self aggrandizement, purely partisan messaging, and covert propaganda trigger violations of the Antideficiency Act, 31 U.S.C. section 1341, which provides for administration penalties, including losing one’s job and criminal penalties, including a $5000 fine and/or incarceration of two years.

2) Call Your State of Michigan Electeds 

(contact information here)

• • Support Michigan Senate Bills 1197 and 1198 to prohibit military, ICE, Border Patrol or other federal, state or local law enforcement at polling places. These Bills are in the Michigan Senate Elections and Ethics Committee. Demand that these bills move forward in time to support the midterm elections.

  • Support Michigan Senate Bill 1186 that would provide for funding to cover special elections involving legislative candidates or statewide issues. It is in the Michigan Senate Elections and Ethics Committee. Michigan Senate Considers Requirement for State Funding for special legislative elections

  • Demand a moratorium on data centers requiring State regulations governing data center usage of water, sewer, and the power grid, and a thorough evaluation of noise and traffic issues. Recently Michigan Regulators approved contracts for DTE for a Google data center in Wayne County’s Van Buren township. Michigan Regulators OK DTE Contracts for Google Data Center

  • Continue to support the commitment of $89 million from State environmental settlement funds for cleanup of Detroit and Kalamazoo River cleanup. Michigan Law Makers, State Leaders Announce $89M for Detroit and Kalamazoo River Cleanup

3) Call the Grand Rapids Mayor, City Commisioners, and the Chief of Police 

• • Demand that the Grand Rapids Police Department not work with ICE. Activists Allege Grand Rapids Police Are Working With ICE Despite City Policy

    1. Mayor David LaGrand: 616.456.3168, Email: mayor@grcity.us

    2. City Commissioners https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/government/city-commission/

    3. Office of the Chief of Police: 616.456.3364

4) Vote No on Proposal 1, Hold a Convention to Revise Michigan's Constitution 

• • Attend the Aquinas College Contemporary Writers Series events. This year’s authors are poet and performer Sarah Kay (September 19), former US poet laureate Joy Harjo (November 12), and Pulitzer Prize finalist Luis Alberto Urea (March 18, 2027).

5) Volunteer to Observe Public Logic and Accuracy Testing 

• • The League of Women Voters is asking volunteers to sign up to attend these testing sessions. This testing is one of the most critical steps local election officials take to ensure that every ballot is counted accurately. Before each election, clerks must test and verify the tabulators, ballot programming, paper ballots, and reporting software. The entire process is conducted in an open meeting, witnessed by the local election commission and any members of the public who attend. By attending a Public L&A Test, you help demonstrate the transparency and integrity of our election system. It’s a simple, powerful way to support voters and strengthen trust in the process. To learn more about Public Logic and Accuracy Testing, check out this great video that LWVMI has produced. Sign up here.

6) Speak Up to Support the "Roadless Rule" 

• • The Roadless Rule was designed to protect forests and watersheds from logging and roadbuilding. Now the Trump administration is moving forward to rescind the rule, opening 45 million acres of national forests to road building and to the logging, mining, and extractive industries. More than 1,800 miles of protected rivers and streams would be at risk, wildfires would increase, and 24 million Americans would be exposed to polluted drinking water. The Roadless Rule is one of the most important safeguards we have to protect our forests from corporate development. Submit a comment before 11:59 p.m. October 6. (Find more information about this Rule here.)

7) Celebrate Stories of Immigration and Belonging 

• • with the author of Stealing Buddha’s Dinner, a memoir set in Grand Rapids. Bich Minh (Beth) Nguyen will share her experience growing up as a Vietnamese refugee in West Michigan and invite you to reflect on identity, family and finding home. Thursday, October 8 at 6:30 pm. “New Neighbors, Shared Stories: An Evening with Beth Nguyen.” KDL Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch Library, 4950 Breton SE, Kentwood.

Get Out the Vote Opportunities 

IGGR has created a Get Out the Vote team. Please join us as we work to save Democracy! It’s up to us to take back our country and voting -- and encouraging others to vote -- is the way to do that. You can volunteer here.

Here is a list of all kinds of different GOTV opportunities -- find one that fits your circumstances and then make a commitment to DO SOMETHING. From today until November.

Tell us how YOU will be working to GOTV by filling out this VERY brief survey.

For People Who Want to Talk to Other People

• Canvass with Rich and Dorothy. 214 Ball Park Blvd NW. There are just 4 WEEKS left for this GOTV effort. Join IGGR as we knock on doors in GR Ward 1 (NW side) to share information about Democratic endorsed candidates, including the non-partisan candidates such as judges, in the November election. Low pressure canvassing, no need to convince anyone, just provide voters with a recommended slate of progressive candidates. People actually welcome this information! IGGR has been assigned Precinct 14 -- let’s get out there and spread the word to all the voters we can in that area. Sign up here. Canvass dates: August 30 at noon, September 1 at 5:30 pm, September 3 at 5:30 pm and more will be added (likely Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays until September 24).

• Neighbor 2 Neighbor (N2N) is Indivisible’s relational organizing tool that focuses on building real relationships, not just transactional conversations. Sign up here. And if you’re feeling nervous, bring a friend! Seriously, it makes it way more fun. Not sure where to start? Check out this quick read from the Indivisible team: How We’re Going to Defeat MAGA, 10 Doors at a Time

• One Team Michigan Grand Rapids Values Canvassing. Saturdays at 10 am and Sundays at 1 pm. Join the Michigan Democrats to talk to voters in and around Grand Rapids about the issues that matter most. We’ll be talking about our values as the Democratic Party, creating momentum across the state, and building relationships with voters. Whether this is your first time knocking doors or you’re a seasoned pro, we will provide plenty of training and all the materials you need to feel comfortable and ready to go. Help us lay the groundwork and put in the effort to earn the voters’ support. Sign up here.

For People Who Want to GOTV from Home and/or Write to Voters

• Write postcards with IGGR. Indivisible Greater Grand Rapids will hold several Get Out the Vote postcard decorating and writing sessions until the general election in November. Sessions will be held at the Treetops Collective Cafe on Tuesdays, from 10am to Noon. We will supply postcards and markers. Bring your creativity! Sessions take place September 1, 15, 22 and 29. We are also seeking donations of postcard stamps. Sign up here.

• Sign up for Postcards to Voters, a group of American volunteers who write postcards to targeted voters in the hope of increasing Democratic turnout in close, key elections across the country. This is something you can do from the comfort of your own home, whenever you have a moment.

• Write postcards for Signs of Justice: You order postcards here, and we send them to your door with a list of real progressive voters in swing states. These are people who voted in the last presidential election and stayed home for the midterms, matched from public voter records. We include suggested messages and writing tips. You write each card by hand, stamp it, and mail it. Handwritten mail is proven to lift turnout across 125 field experiments, and in 2022 a House seat was decided by 546 votes. That’s the whole operation.

• Write letters for Vote Forward. Vote Forward is a broad-based national effort to encourage voter turnout by participating by sending millions of letters to potential voters in underserved communities in key states, including Michigan. The majority of their letter writing campaigns are nonpartisan, focusing on mobilizing potential voters in historically marginalized communities—such as people of color, women, and young voters. This is another thing you can do from the comfort of your own home, whenever you have a moment.

For People Who Want to Help with Voter Registration Efforts

• Voter Registration Opportunities with The League of Women Voters of the Greater Grand Rapids Area. The LWVGGRA is working with area high schools, apartment complexes, and community organizations to provide voter registration and education events. They continue to add additional voter registration events as they are scheduled. Please review the current list here and sign up to volunteer. Keep this link and check back periodically. More events are being added as requests come in. Training for voter registration is here, passcode: 1qv*y&A?

• Volunteer With Vote Riders. As state legislatures continue to change the rules about what identification is required to vote and continue to restrict what will qualify as a valid ID or proof of registration, one in ten voting-age citizens in the U.S. cannot easily access documents that will allow them to vote. Vote Riders works directly with voters to provide accurate, up-to-date information on voter ID laws in every state and offers free individual assistance to citizens who need help to obtain an accepted form of ID for voting, including free transportation, legal assistance, and financial support. Volunteer with Vote Riders to help make sure eligible voters have the ID and information they need to cast a ballot that counts.

• Help Ensure Voter Registrations are Active and Voters are Prepared. This is the time to be working on voter registration and to help make sure that registered voters have active registrations and know what they will need at the polls to cast their ballots for 2026. The Trump administration is working hard to intimidate voters, to purge voter rolls, and to suppress the vote. Share this website with EVERYONE you know, in every state across the US so they can verify they are registered to vote: Vote.org offers a one-stop shop to double-check one’s registration status; if a citizen is not registered, they can sign up in minutes through the site.

Protect the Election and Ensure Every Vote Is Counted

• Share this video about changes in the USPS postmarking policy with everyone you know to make sure their votes are counted.

• Volunteer to Protect the Vote. Choose your role in defending Michigan’s 2026 elections. Here is a list of every available volunteer role, what it involves, how much time it takes, and how to sign up. Read through each one carefully and choose the role that fits your skills, your schedule, and your commitment level. Every single role matters, and together we will make sure that what Michigan’s voters decide on November 3rd is exactly what gets certified.

• Volunteer for the For Michigan Poll Observer Program, where volunteers serve at polling locations on or near college campuses. Poll observers play an important role in helping monitor polling locations and identify and report any issues that could affect students’ ability to cast their ballots. For Michigan will provide all volunteers with in-depth training, materials, and a system for reporting issues so that volunteers are prepared to monitor and respond to the specific challenges students may encounter at the polls. They’re especially hoping to have poll observers at locations where GRCC and Aquinas College students will be voting. You can volunteer during Early Voting or on Election Day. Please fill out our Poll Observer Interest Form. For more information about what poll observers do, please review our Poll Observer One-Pager.

• Sign up to be an Election Inspector. Our democracy depends on elections that are secure, accurate, and well-run—and that starts with dedicated Election Inspectors. Help ensure every ballot is handled according to Michigan election law. They are the backbone of every successful Election Day. Apply at your local clerk’s office, or find more information here. Sign up in Kent County here.

• The Election Defense Corps is a grassroots network of volunteers located in Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, and Ohio dedicated to protecting the right to vote before, during, and after the 2026 election. When federal protections are removed, defending democracy becomes a community effort. Sign the pledge today to commit to joining the Election Protection Corps. By signing up now, you’ll receive strategic updates via email and text, training opportunities, and critical calls to action during key election protection moments in your state. Join the Election Defense Corps

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