Here in Michigan, we have an Attorney General fighting to keep our elections free from Federal investigation, but we need to stay diligent. We need you to stay on the active voter roll. We don’t want you to be required to jump through extra hoops (that take time and sometimes extra documentation) to vote a provisional ballot and/or re-register last minute before the polls open.

YOUR ARMCHAIR ACTION:

Check the Voter Registration status for you and your family members!

Click here to access the Michigan Secretary of State’s voter information page.

National Voter Resources can be found by visiting http://vote.gov.

Home prices, rental concerns, homelessness, and construction snafus have racked the news for the past few years nationally, and now are encroaching on the UP, especially Marquette and surrounding area. This survey asks about housing experiences, challenges, and priorities. The results will be used to develop the next Statewide Housing Plan (SHP 2.0) which will guide statewide housing strategy and policy development. The more UP voices shared, the more likely SHP 2.0 will represent the wants and needs of everyone that lives, works, or does business in the UP.

HOW: Click here.

MORE DETAILS:

Find more information about the Statewide Housing Plan(s) below:

Statewide Housing Plan 1.0

SHP 2.0 https://www.michigan.gov/mshda/developers/statewide-housing-plan

Mayday! Mayday! Billionaire Crisis!

On May Day, Indivisible will join the AFLCIO for a general strike “Workers Over Billionaires”. We need you to help raise the alarm.

Unions have always led the fight for economic justice for working people, but they’re being outplayed.

WHAT: This week’s action is simple: As you abstain from work and from big corporations, we ask that you take some time to learn how the US tax code works to supercharge the skyrocketing wealth of America’s billionaires.

Then, armed with facts and conversation points, we’d like you to get out and spread the word to your neighbors, friends and family. Sound the alarm! Shine your light on truth.

WHY: Between 1975 and 2023, nearly $80 trillion in wealth was funneled from the bottom 90% of Americans to the top 1%. Shockingly, one of the primary drivers of this wealth shift is the US tax code; it actually helps create these billionaires.

Here’s what a billion dollars looks like: If you earned $10,000 a day, it would take 100 days to make $1 million, but 274 YEARS to make a billion. Of those billions, America’s wealthiest often pay zero or negligible taxes (Pro Publica, “The Secret IRS Files,” 8 June 2021.)

Because we know your time is valuable, we’ve gathered some credible resources to help fuel these crucial conersations.

TO READ:
The Guardian: “Billionaire fortunes have reached all-time highs under Trump. So has the movement to tax them“

Mother Jones: “The American Experiment Has Been Infected By Oligarchs“

Patriotic Millionaires: “AMERICA 250: The Money Agenda – A Bold Surprisingly Simple Vision for the Next 250 years of American Prosperity“


TO WATCH or LISTEN:
Trevor Noah, “Why Aren’t Billionaires Being Taxed?” (less than 3 min)

NPR, “America’s Tax Code has Created a New Aristocracy.” An interview with Ray Madoff (8 min)

New Economic Thinking, “Why the Rich don’t Pay Taxes.” A deeper look with Ray Madoff (26 min)

Heather Cox Richardson, American Conversations: Vanessa Williamson whose book is The Price of Democracy. (41 min)

“America’s Tax System is Broken.” Derek Thompson, Plain English Podcast. (1 hr. The first 4 minutes are crucial. Thompson’s guest has a fairly strong accent. Be patient, it’s worth your time.)

1. Ensure that you are registered to vote and you know your polling location, or have requested an absentee ballot.
2. Become familiar with the candidates and their policy positions by going to their websites or watching online debates or interviews.
3. Contribute financially to your chosen candidate’s campaign. Small dollar donations can have an outsized influence in the primaries.
4. Be vocal in your support of candidates, by pushing out their messages on social media and by educating family and friends about them.
5. Build a “Contagious Voting Effect.” Send texts asking friends and family to vote too.

If we truly want to have a voice in our government, we have to vote in the primaries.

“Think of the general election as the final score, but the primaries are the game. If only a handful of players show up, you don’t get a true contest, you get a default outcome. And in a democracy, default outcomes belong to no one but the few who noticed,” (Buscemi, 2026, p. 5).

Primary elections narrow our choices. The election season typically starts out with a wide range of candidates, each offering diverse points of view and policy positions. Ideally, the final candidate represents the collective vision and values of the party, resulting in a cohesive message and a stronger chance of success in the general election. However, the primary candidate ultimately elected tends to reflect the opinions of only 20% or so of eligible voters because that’s the usual percentage who vote in primaries. And those who do turn out for primary elections tend to be older, wealthier, and more ideologically unified (or extreme) than the typical voter. As a result, the November general election voters don’t feel their views are reflected by the chosen candidate, and they may choose to sit out altogether.

Strongly voicing your support of primary candidates, encouraging organizations to make endorsements, and contributing financially to primary candidates can have an outsized influence on how candidates govern after the general election. These things increase the visibility of your candidate and help them educate the public about what they stand for. Candidates who are strongly supported in primaries tend to garner additional endorsements and monetary resources for the general election campaign, which further increases their chance of winning.

Also, involvement in primary elections is important even if a preferred candidate does not win a primary election. Strongly supported candidates can influence the winning candidate and platform they promote in the general election. Political parties and candidates might decide to devote more or less attention and resources towards certain demographics, policies, and issues based on voter turnout and primary results.

Additional Resources:

• Indivisible
• League of Women Voters
• Voting in the Primaries is the Most Important Thing You Can Do For Democracy—And You Probably Aren’t Doing it. (Buscemi, A., 2026)

Following the example of other Michigan communities such as Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, we drafted a letter calling for a county policy proactively addressing how federal law enforcement agencies operate in Marquette County.

The letter was presented at the February 3 meeting of the Marquette County Board of Commissioners. To our surprise, we were not the only community members requesting a policy concerning DHS and ICE. During the public comment period, 6 people spoke to the same issue with several others present in support. During closing comments, Commissioners Alholm, LaLonde and Numinen spoke in support of our request. Commissioner Numinen was especially forceful, saying “we are living in a national nightmare.” The Commission concluded by directing Marquette County staff to research the issue and put it on the agenda for the next meeting (Tuesday, Feb. 17).

We were all excited about the response of the Commission. However, we also understand that the battle is not yet won. Our first request for citizen action was for people to mail a postcard to the Commission in support of our letter and its proposal to develop a policy.

It is clear that the Commission, and Commissioner Numinen in particular, have received backlash from pro-MAGA individuals. Those Commissioners need our support! In the next Commission meeting, we must endorse a strong, proactive policy to protect our community. If you want to make the greatest impact, please attend and speak during the public comment periods. In terms of attendance, size really DOES matter.

Please attend the upcoming Marquette County Commission board meetings in the Skewis Annex of the Marquette County Courthouse on Baraga Street to show support for this resolution until one is passed.

See upcoming meeting dates, Zoom links, and agendas here

If you are unable to attend the Commission meeting in person, you can still express your support from home in the following ways:

• Speak to the commission from home. There is an option to comment at the board meeting via Zoom.
• Write a postcard or brief letter to the Commission in support of developing a policy. Be sure to include your name and address. Mail it to: Marquette County Board of Commissioners, Henry A. Skewis Courthouse Annex, 234 W. Baraga Ave., Marquette, MI
• Email the commission. Public comments can be submitted to the County Clerk at clerk@marquettemi.gov Be sure to include your name and address.

ACTION: Urge three people who have never come to a protest to come to No Kings 3!

Emphasize that they can help turn back the regime simply by showing up! There will be music and dancing, costumes and signs, and many like-minded people! It will be fun!

Even with mobility issues, anyone can participate! People can drive by, and beep and wave flags and signs from their cars. They can even decorate their cars with pro-democracy themes!

WHY: Hands Off (April 2025) saw over 3 million protesters, the first No Kings (June 2025) had over 5 million, and No Kings 2 (October 2025) had over 7 million. Mass movements have a better chance of success when they mobilize 3.5% of a population. In the U.S. that translates to 11.5 to 12 million people. WE CAN DO THIS!

The president thinks his rule is absolute, but in America we don’t have kings. We will not back down from his chaos, corruption, and cruelty. This country belongs to We the People — the people who care, who show up, who stand for dignity, peace, a life we can afford, and real opportunity.

Still on the fence about going to a protest? Read this terrific essay by historian Timothy Snyder on why it’s important to show up for NO KINGS 3 on March 28th.

RESULTS: Several questions were received through multiple LSRI channels, and moderators grouped them into 15 questions to

On March 21, Lake Superior Region Indivisible hosted the Marquette candidate forum for Michigan’s First Congressional District (the U.S. House seat currently held by Jack Bergman). The upcoming primaries — the vetting stage of our elections — are critical to the grassroot efforts underway to change the direction of this country. All primary candidates have been invited to the forum. The candidate forum is not a debate. It’s actually a job interview where each of the candidates can address issues brought up by us — their potential employers. This is an opportunity to meet the candidates, raise concerns, listen and compare.

This is where YOU come in:

We asked for YOUR input in the form of questions to the candidates. Please take a moment to reflect on the issues that affect you. We hope you are able to attend the forum. If not, your voice can still be a part of this conversation by responding to the survey below. We expect this event to be widely covered by our local media. Your input will help to shape our understanding of the individuals who are asking to represent us.