July 20th, 20200WASHINGTON D.C. — Democratic nominee for president Joe Biden spoke at an online event hosted by Emgage Action, a national organization that promotes Muslim civic engagement, on Monday, where he promised to engage with the concerns of Muslim voters seriously.
"I’ll be a president who seeks out and listens to and incorporates the...
July 1st, 20200
LANSING — On Wednesday, Governor Whitmer signed Senate Bills 876-878, which makes into law her previous executive orders, further extending the renewal dates for driver’s licenses, CDLs, state ID cards and vehicle registrations. Those with driver’s licenses or vehicle registrations expiring after March 1 have until Sept. 30 to...
June 25th, 20200LANSING — On Wednesday, 200 semifinalists for Michigan’s first Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission were randomly selected in a live broadcasted event by the Michigan Department of State (MDOS).
The random selection was performed by Rehmann LLC, an independent accounting firm hired through a public bidding process to...
June 25th, 20201
LANSING — Voters in Michigan who requested absentee ballots can expect them to arrive in their mailboxes soon. The state's Secretary of State office announced that clerks will begin mailing them on Thursday, June 25, for the August 4 primary elections.
A constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2018 requires ballot mailing...
June 4th, 20200LANSING — The Michigan Department of State (MDOS) processed more than 6,000 applications for the state’s new Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission by June 1, the last day to notarize and submit an application.
The application process began in October of last year, when the state outlined the application process. The...
May 28th, 20200LANSING — Secretary of State (SOS) branch offices will reopen in Michigan on June 1 by appointment only for essential transactions not available online, the state announced on Thursday.
Beginning June 1, all 131 branch offices in Michigan will be open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for appointment-only for transactions...
May 19th, 20200DEARBORN — Many in the state may have heard of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. Michiganders voted to create the commission in 2018 to give citizens exclusive power over the drawing of district boundaries for the Michigan Senate and House, and the U.S. Congress, every 10 years.
This means that 13...
March 24th, 20200LANSING — Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced today that absent voter ballot applications will be mailed by her office to all voters in the May 5 election to help ensure both public health and democratic rights are protected.
“Our country has a long history of carrying out elections in times of crisis, and we are...
October 26th, 20190DETROIT – Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson joined other officials and community leaders on Thursday, Oct. 24, in Detroit to announce the state’s new Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. The state is now accepting applications from eligible Michigan residents to help draw the state’s next political district...
December 9th, 20180LANSING — The Michigan House of Representatives approved a bill on Wednesday that would allow the legislature to intervene in any court case, which could potentially position lawmakers in opposition to Democratic Attorney General-elect Dana Nessel.
The bill would allow the legislature to intervene in cases where the state has a...
November 24th, 20180LANSING— Secretary of State-elect Jocelyn Benson has announced her transition committee, which will guide her preparation to assume the role of Michigan’s chief motor vehicle administrator and chief election officer, on January 1.
“I am honored that two leaders and mentors I respect and admire, Senator Levin and Commissioner...
November 10th, 20180Democrat Gretchen Whitmer wins governor'- race, beats Republican candidate Bill Schuette
In a pivotal election, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer has won the race for governor of Michigan.
She swept 53.3 percent of the votes, beating Republican Bill Schuette in 17 of Michigan’s 83 counties. Among them were Macomb, Oakland, Genesee, Wayne...
October 21st, 20180DEARBORN — On Tuesday, October 16, State Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D- Dearborn) and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D- Dearborn) joined Jocelyn Benson, the Democratic candidate for secretary of state, for a town hall meeting at the Henry Ford Centennial Library.
Hammoud and Dingell both made opening remarks.
Benson said she believes...
October 19th, 20181DEARBORN – Several key races are brewing that could alter the course municipalities and the state take as they face challenges like improving public education, fixing dilapidated infrastructure and lowering insurance premiums.
After interviews and deliberations on October 17, The Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC)...
October 4th, 20180DEARBORN – Jocelyn Benson sees the secretary of state as the chief guardian of our democratic process.
Benson, a former dean of the Wayne State University Law School, is the Democratic candidate for Michigan's secretary of state.
On September 28, Benson made a campaign stop at The AANews offices in Dearborn, where she met with...
August 31st, 20180LANSING – Michigan voters are gearing up to elect candidates for governor, attorney general and secretary of state, among others, on November 6.
Following the primary elections, which saw the defeat of progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed to his rival and establishment Democrat, Gretchen Whitmer, elected officials and Arab Americans...
August 19th, 20180WASHINGTON, D.C. — As women line up to run for U.S. political office at historic rates, state legislatures — where some of America’s most critical policy decisions get made — could see a slew of new female lawmakers after November’s vote, according to a Reuters analysis of election data.
In Michigan, for example, a state...
April 27th, 20180DETROIT – It’s no secret that the 2016 presidential election cultivated an electrified wave of progressive activism and swaths of candidates from minority communities running for office.
In Michigan, where President Trump was victorious, increasingly polarized Democrats and Republicans are gearing up for contentious races to...
