Friend,

Our work to defend democracy worked because of people like you.

Yesterday, a majority of the Michigan Board of State Canvassers voted to certify statewide election results. This is a victory for our state and our nation.

More than 33,000 people watched the meeting virtually, and hundreds of people provided public comment, including city, township, and county clerks, veterans, poll workers, poll challengers who observed the ballot counting process, and voters from all over Michigan.

Michiganders stayed for nearly 9 hours to give public comment, even after the board eventually voted—largely speaking in favor of certification and against the attempts to disenfranchise Detroit voters in particular. THAT is our democracy at work, with everyday people engaged in the political process.

Hearing from everyday Michiganders who just want their votes counted was incredibly moving. We all deserve democratic processes that truly work and represent us.

And here in Michigan, the Board of State Canvassers had one job: To certify the results submitted by all counties. They have no legal power to request an audit—in fact, no audits are possible until after certification, under our state law.

Any potential upcoming audits won’t change the presidential or Senate results, because the election was not at all close. Biden won Michigan by 14 times the margin that Trump did in 2016. We can breathe a sigh of relief, but we still must stay vigilant.

Even though democracy won out yesterday, our work is not over.

Despite a complete lack of evidence of voter fraud, Trump and the GOP are continuing to lie to the American people and sow doubt in our elections, especially in heavily Black cities.

And let’s be clear: By singling out majority-Black Detroit before and during yesterday’s Board of State Canvassers meeting—despite the fact that other, whiter cities in Wayne County and other parts of the state had more unexplained unbalanced precincts—Trump and the GOP made clear how far they’re willing to go to undermine our democracy, and sacrifice Black voters in particular, to maintain power.

It’s clearer than ever that we must finally reckon with anti-Black racism in this country.

The United States has never lived up to its promise of equality and freedom for all. It’s time for us to make this right, and to co-create the country we all deserve. We can’t continue compromising, and we can’t stay silent.

Thank you for joining me in this work. If you’re able to, please financially chip in so we can continue our bold fights ahead.

Always serving you,

Rashida