To: NextGen Michigan Allies and Supporters ​ From: Eliza Webb, State Youth Director ​ Date: November 1, 2018 ​ Re: NextGen Michigan’s Efforts in the 2018 Midterm Elections ​

“NextGen America, a liberal advocacy group started by California billionaire Tom Steyer, has registered more than 36,000 college students on Michigan campuses since January through its "Rising" program, said Jenna Chapman...‘I like to say this is just part of adulting,” Chapman said. ‘… You don’t want all the old, retired people making all of the decisions for you.’” — “Michigan Dem, GOP plans diverge on voter registration,” Detroit News, October 8, 2018 ​ ​ ​ ​

NEXTGEN MICHIGAN 2018: BY THE NUMBERS TOTAL SPEND: $3.5 million ​ TOTAL STAFF ON THE GROUND: 67 ​ TOTAL VOLUNTEERS: 1,552 ​ ​ TOTAL CAMPUSES WITH PROGRAM: 61 ​ TOTAL YOUNG VOTERS REGISTERED: 39,353 ​ ​ TOTAL PLEDGE TO VOTE CARDS COLLECTED: 23,645 ​ TOTAL YOUNG VOTERS REACHED WITH DIGITAL ADS: 941,142 ​ TOTAL DOORS KNOCKED: 102,713 ​ TOTAL TEXTS SENT: 14,032 ​ ​ TOTAL PIECES OF DIRECT MAIL SENT: 1,072,618 ​ TARGETED RACES: MI-Gov, MI-Lt Gov, MI-Sen, MI Secretary of State, MI State Supreme Court, ​ MI-07, MI-08, MI-11, YES on Proposal 2, YES on Proposal 3

On Tuesday, November 6, Michiganders will head to the polls to vote in the most important midterm election in recent history — and NextGen Michigan played a central role in organizing and turning out young voters on ​ ​ ​ ​ campus, in their communities, and online. Young people are the largest eligible voting bloc in the the country, and they are overwhelmingly progressive. NextGen America has organized young people since 2013, and we know that when they turn out, Democrats win.

The stakes in Michigan are remarkably high: under eight years of Republican control, Michigan has been infested with mismanagement and corruption — children have been exposed to poisonous water, corporations like Nestle ​ ​ have taken advantage of the state’s resources, and officials like Bill Schuette sought to legalize LGBTQ ​ ​ discrimination. But this year, a new generation of young, progressive candidates in Michigan have inspired young ​ ​ voters to get organized ahead of the midterms. In the statewide races, the Democratic Party boasts an all-female ​ ticket led by Gretchen Whitmer for the first time, and young candidates and activists like Garlin Gilchrist, Haley Stevens, and Elissa Slotkin, and Abdul El-Sayed have changed the face of Michigan politics. ​ ​

In 2016, Donald Trump won Michigan by only 10,704 voters — and this year, NextGen has expanded the electorate by almost four times that margin. By the October 9th voter registration deadline, NextGen Michigan organizers and volunteers had registered 39,353 and committed 23,645 people to vote on November 6. With high

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youth turnout, Democrats have a chance to flip every major statewide office, retake several Congressional seats, and bring long-awaited change to Michigan.

NEXTGEN RISING In 2018, NextGen America is running the largest youth organizing program in American history, investing $33 million across 11 states to elect progressive candidates up and down the ballot. The youth organizing program — NextGen Rising — launched in August 2017 to register and turnout young voters (between the ages of 18 and 35) for progressive candidates in Virginia’s state elections. NextGen helped turnout young voters in record numbers ​ in Virginia, propelling a Democratic wave and setting the stage for an even larger effort in 2018.

With a $3.5 million investment, NextGen Michigan is working to register, engage, and organize young voters ​ ​ across the state to elect Gretchen Whitmer to the Governor’s seat, defend Senator Stabenow and flip the 7th, 8th, and 11th Congressional Districts. With 67 staff and fellows on the ground, NextGen is working to organize young voters on 61 campuses and in their communities, and has registered almost 40,000 young Michiganders to vote ​ ​ this year.

In Michigan, young people vote at half the rate of older voters. According to a report by a Stanford University political science professor, Michigan has the largest turnout gap between young voters and the rest of the overall ​ ​ voting population of any state in the country. This year, NextGen Michigan organizers worked tirelessly to overcome Republican-supported voter suppression tactics and turnout a record-breaking number of young ​ ​ Michiganders in the primary. As a result, young voter turnout in the primary tripled from 49,000 voters in 2014 to ​ ​ 143,000 in August.

NextGen Michigan is working diligently to mobilize and turn out young Black voters for the midterm elections. Through the Black Lives Rising program, NextGen Michigan partnered with local grassroots organizations and ​ Blavity, a tech and digital media company run by and for Black millennials, to host events and rally young Black ​ voters in cities like Detroit and Flint.

DIGITAL & MAIL To reach young voters on and off campus, NextGen sent 1,072,618 pieces of direct mail and spent $935,714 on cutting-edge digital ads to target 941,142 young Michiganders. Running on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, these ads, like “Last Chance” and “Show Up,” which stressed the stakes of this ​ ​ ​ ​ election and encouraged young Michiganders to use their power to make a difference this year.

As voters began to tune into the races in August and September, NextGen Michigan released a series of voter guide digital ads designed to educate young voters on key races for Governor, Senator and Congress in Michigan and compare the platforms of Gretchen Whitmer and Bill Schuette, Tim Walberg and Gretchen Driskell, Mike ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Bishop and Elissa Slotkin, and Lena Epstein and Haley Stevens on issues like our environment, healthcare and ​ ​ ​ cost of college.

In the final five days, NextGen Michigan’s get out the vote efforts will include knocking on 18,000 doors, sending over 470,000 texts messages, and encouraging young Michiganders to vote. We will also hold special events all over the state on Election Day, including “Puppies at the Polls” and “Donut to Forget to Vote” in Lansing.

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OUR LIVES, OUR VOTE Following the tragedy in Parkland, Florida in February, NextGen partnered with Giffords, Everytown for Gun Safety, and ACRONYM to launch the Our Lives, Our Vote program. The $1.75 million program set out to ​ ​ empower high school students to make their voices heard this November, and vote out politicians beholden to the NRA. In Michigan, Our Lives, Our Vote partnered with Good Jobs Now and the Emgage Foundation to register ​ ​ 8,973 high school students to vote in person, online, and through mail ahead of the November election.

CLEAN ENERGY, HEALTHY MICHIGAN NextGen America worked with partners on the ground to initiate Clean Energy, Healthy Michigan, which worked to put clean energy on the ballot. In May, after collecting 350,000 signatures from Michigan voters, Clean Energy, Healthy Michigan reached an agreement with the largest utilities in the state DTE Energy and Consumers Energy ​ for Michigan to commit to a 50% clean energy standard by 2030. Michigan is making significant progress in reducing emissions and growing the economy at the same time.

FOR OUR FUTURE To fight for the rights of working families, NextGen America partnered with national labor unions to create For Our Future (FOF), the largest independent field operation for the progressive movement in the 2016 election. This year, For Our Future Michigan organizers will have knocked on 1,195,694 doors by Election Day to turnout voters for candidates who support working Michiganders. For Our Future's canvass efforts include a project called the "Feedback Loop," in which canvassers can compile the top issues of concern from voters who they talk to. In Michigan, the Feedback Loop found that top issues amongst sporadic voters include the state of roads and bridges in their community and the need for clean water.

GIVEGREEN GiveGreen, a fundraising partnership between NextGen America, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Victory Fund, and NRDC Action Fund PAC, raised over $20 million for progressive candidates across the ​ country. In Michigan, GiveGreen raised $519,122.14 for Debbie Stabenow, Gretchen Whitmer, Gretchen Driskell, ​ ​ ​ Elissa Slotkin, Haley Stevens, Dana Nessel and Jocelyn Benson, among others. ​

“Some of the biggest issues that we talk to students about are the cost of college and affordable health care," said Chapman. "Young people are concerned about their financial future. On campus, some of the biggest concerns are sexual assault, gun safety, and also the environment.” — “Despite Young Voter Efforts, Turnout is ​ ​ ​ ​ Unpredictable,” WKAR Michigan Public Radio, Lansing, October 7, 2018 ​ ​ ​

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