Endorsement Process

Why We Endorse

Have you ever gotten to the nonpartisan portion of your ballot and thought, “Uh-oh.” You’re not alone. Partisan choice is easy – one box for straight Dem. But what about all those nonpartisan races? – school boards, township boards, library boards, ballot proposals, judges? 

All of these local races have an outsized impact on our lives. Not knowing how to vote in them feels terrible. We know – we’ve been there. 

That’s why the WCDP carefully vets candidates and makes endorsements based on our research and values.

Volunteers for democracy WCDP

How We Endorse

Primary Season

The WCDP does not endorse in primaries, and we automatically endorse the winner in Democratic primaries (except in rare instances – when a candidate who has won a primary as a Democrat does not clearly share our stated values or when, post-primary, two Democrats are vying for a single seat). 

As the candidates file for office, WCDP volunteers inform them of our endorsement process.

  • In order to be endorsed, candidates must provide core information such as their campaign statement including policy positions, history with the Democratic Party, biographical sketch, one-sentence tagline, and photo.
  • Between the filing deadline and the primary, WCDP volunteers collect and organize candidates’ statements and digitize and standardize candidate photos.

Post-Primary

MDP holds its 2024 Nominating Convention on August 24, and WCDP holds its endorsement convention on August 25. (WCDP’s convention occurs after the MDP’s convention, since we endorse partisan candidates based on the MDP’s actions.) If you have joined the WCDP on or before July 25, you are eligible to participate in both. 

Immediately after the endorsement conventions, volunteers finalize the WCDP Voter Guide, both in print and in MIvoter.org. Both the print version and MIvoter.org will be available for use just before the Secretary of State mails ballots for voting from home.

To participate in WCDP’s endorsement process, note the dates below.

Sign up here to participate in the WCDP’s August 25 Endorsement meeting.

 

July 25 Join the WCDP on or before July 25 to participate in endorsement process.
July 30 WCDP will simultaneously publish all information provided by primary candidates. Study up to make your choices for the primary.
August 6 The state primary. Be sure to vote!
August 20 WCDP will post all remaining candidates’ responses to our questionnaire. Study up to make your choices for endorsement.
August 24 MDP Nominating convention. If you’ve joined the WCDP on or before July 25, you are qualified to vote in the MDP convention.
August 25 WCDP Endorsement Convention, in person only. If you’ve joined the WCDP on or before July 25, you are qualified to vote in the MDP convention.
September 20 Begin looking for your copy of the printed Voter Guide with all of WCDP’s endorsements, and check the electronic version, MIvoter.org.

 

For Candidates

Being endorsed by the WCDP and appearing in the WCDP Voter Guide and MIvoter.org can bring substantial attention to candidates. 

Please note: our deadlines for receiving materials are based on the tight timeline for the complicated process of producing the Voter Guide.

** We rely entirely on campaigns to observe the deadlines if they want the WCDP’s endorsement. **

  If you ARE participating in the August 6 primary:

July 15 Submit your responses to this candidate information form and questionnaire.
July 30 All information submitted by candidates in the primary will be published simultaneously on WCDP’s website.

  If you are NOT participating in the August 6 primary:

August 5 Submit your responses to this candidate information form and questionnaire.
August 10 All information submitted by non-primary candidates will be published simultaneously on WCDP’s website.
August 25 WCDP’s Endorsement Convention, 1 – 5 pm, Washtenaw County Learning Resource Center, 4135 Washtenaw Ave.

 See our bylaws, Article 10, for endorsement process rules.

Less than one month after the WCDP Endorsement Convention, we will begin distributing printed Voter Guides and   MIvoter.org listing all endorsements.