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.

The WCDP typically endorses the winners in the Democratic primary, if they have requested our endorsement. In rare circumstances, if the winning candidate does not clearly share our stated values, we may decline to endorse.

The WCDP automatically endorses candidates for statewide and federal office who are nominated or endorsed by the Michigan Democratic Party at its state conventions, held this year (2026) on April 19 and August 29.

As local, county, and regional candidates file for office, WCDP volunteers inform them of our endorsement process:

  • In order to be endorsed, candidates must request endorsement and provide core information requested in the WCDP candidate form to help members make an informed endorsement choice.
  • Between the filing deadline and the primary, WCDP volunteers collect and organize candidates’ statements and digitize and standardize candidate photos for reproduction in the Voter Guide and MIvoter.org.

 

Post-Primary

WCDP will hold its 2026 Endorsement Convention in person only on Saturday, August 15, from 2 – 5 pm. The location will be disclosed upon registration.

 You must be a current member and have joined or renewed your membership in the MDP (and by extension the WCDP) on or before July 16 to participate in the WCDP’s Endorsement Convention.

In its August 15 convention, WCDP will automatically endorse the candidates who will be nominated at MDP’s Nominating Convention on Saturday, August 29, in Detroit.

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 these dates:

 

 

July 7 WCDP will simultaneously publish all information provided by primary candidates. Study up to make your choices for the primary election that ends on August 4!
July 16 Join or renew your membership on or before July 16 to participate in the WCDP’s Endorsement Convention on August 15.
July 30 If you missed the deadline to participate in WCDP’s Endorsement Convention, you can still participate in the MDP’s Nominating Convention on August 29 if you join or renew your membership on or before July 30.
August 4 The final day of the state primary. Be sure to vote!
August 7 WCDP will post all questionnaires completed by candidates not participating in the August 4 primary. Research your choices for WCDP endorsement!
August 15 WCDP Endorsement Convention, in person only. If you have joined or renewed your membership on or before July 16, you are qualified to vote in this WCDP Endorsement Convention. The location will be disclosed upon registration.
August 29 MDP Nominating Convention. If you have joined or renewed your membership on or before July 30, you are qualified to vote in this MDP Nominating 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

If you have any questions about this process, write to: endorsement@washtenawdems.org

 

For Candidates

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

Statewide and federal nominees will be included in the Voter Guide by virtue of being endorsed in the MDP’s Statewide Nominating Convention.

Other than these statewide and federal nominees, we can only include you in our Voter Guide if you are a member of the Party and request our endorsement by submitting the materials we require by the deadlines stipulated. Our deadlines are based on the tight timeline for the complicated process of producing the Voter Guide. We rely entirely on campaigns to observe the process and deadlines if they want the WCDP’s endorsement. 

  If you are participating in the August 4 primary:

June 15 Submit your responses to this candidate information form and questionnaire.
July 7 All information submitted by candidates in the primary will be published simultaneously on WCDP’s website.

 

  If you are not participating in the August 4 primary:

July 28 Submit your responses to this candidate information form and questionnaire.
August 7 All information submitted by non-primary candidates will be published simultaneously on WCDP’s website.
August 15 WCDP’s Endorsement Convention, 2 – 5 pm, location disclosed with registration.
August 29 MDP’s Nominating Convention, time and location TBA.

 

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

Finalized Endorsements will be published to MIvoter.org as soon as possible after each convention, making it available in time for back-to-school voter outreach on our college and university campuses.

Printed Voter Guide distribution will begin a week prior to September 24, which is the start of the early voting window for the November general election.

If you have any questions about this process, write to: endorsement@washtenawdems.org