Democracy in Detroit
Kamala Harris rallies with UAW in metro Detroit: ‘We believe in the collective’
“We believe in the collective,” Harris said. “We’re not falling for these folks who are trying to divide us, trying to pull us apart. That’s not…
Get to know the primary candidates running for Wayne County 3rd Circuit Court judge
Voters will select 1 candidate; the 2 with the most votes will face off in the general election
Primary voter guide: Proposition P, Wayne County parks millage
Here’s what to know about the ballot proposal before you vote in the Aug. 6 election
Primary voter guide: Proposition A, Wayne County ballot proposal
Here’s what to know about the Auditor Selection Amendment before you vote in the Aug. 6 election
Primary voter guide: Proposal L, Detroit Public Library millage
Here’s what to know about the ballot proposal before you vote in the Aug. 6 election
What the GOP is saying about Black votes and Black jobs
WDET host Russ McNamara talks with Outlier from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee
Outlier Media covers the way local and regional government officials make decisions and how communities make their concerns known. This, along with reports on public meetings by Detroit Documenters, is how we cover the way Detroiters do democracy. We always want to hear from you, and we especially want to hear about your democracy concerns for the 2024 election cycle.
How Outlier Media covers democracy in Detroit
Detroiters are engaged in the civic life of the city in plenty of ways. We plan to cover them all.
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Survey: Most Detroiters involved in their communities and plan to vote, but doubt officials share their concerns
A new survey of more than 1,000 Detroiters offers insights on voter turnout and resident priorities
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Democracy and Elections
Proposal L would fund Detroit’s libraries for another 10 years. How much of that money will get diverted downtown?
The Downtown Development Authority captures taxes that would otherwise go to the library. That would change if voters pass a millage renewal
How AI-generated misinformation threatens elections: What Detroiters need to know
Computer-generated imagery is getting easier to create and could be used to mislead voters
At Outlier, we aim to amplify Detroiters’ voices in discussions about policy, democracy and civic life. Detroit Documenters are community members playing a crucial role in this effort by taking notes at and live-tweeting about public meetings. All their work, along with meeting transcripts, agendas and presentation packets, are published on Documenters.org — a free, public record of what Detroiters need and want and how those in power respond.
Company apologizes to Detroiters for absentee ballot applications sent in error
City elections administrator says he doesn’t think the error caused harm
Why a primary election matters so much
How primaries work and why it’s extra important to vote in them
Vote with confidence: Start with the issues
Use this quiz to decide what issues to prioritize when you vote
How to look up a politician’s voting record and job performance
When a candidate has held public office before, you can learn a lot about how much that candidate has achieved and how they interact with other officials
Who’s trying to sway my vote? How to follow the money in campaigns
Understanding how this influence works and how to navigate it can make you a more confident voter
What to know before you go to the polls in Detroit
If you’re voting on Election Day, make a plan to vote, find your polling place and learn more about what you will find at the polls
Stay engaged: What comes after the election
You hit the polls, now what?
Election glossary: Understand common terms
Use this handy resource when you want to learn, or double check, the meaning of a political term
The clock ticks on City Council redistricting
Council is expected to narrow down redistricting options early next year. Time is running out to have your say
Local Government
Term is up for Detroit’s top watchdog
Looking back on Ellen Ha’s 6 years as city’s second inspector general
Detroit commission delays key staff interviews
The Board of Police Commissioners couldn’t maintain a quorum
Detroit spends lots of money and time on neighborhood plans — in the case of Cody Rouge, it’s paying off
11 orgs, dozens of meetings and hundreds of conversations: The plan is delivering real benefits, and could be a model for other neighborhoods
Detroit buys more BolaWrap, lasso-like devices that police have used twice
Detroit is among the more than 1,100 agencies worldwide using BolaWrap, but disability rights and racial justice advocates are skeptical about funding this new tool
Once convicted of murder, now Darryl Woods will lead Detroit’s police oversight board
Mayoral appointee says his top priorities include addressing backlog of citizen complaints, conflict among colleagues
Wayne State abandons public meetings, shunning protesters and the public
Following the forceful removal of protesters at their last board meeting and the dismantling of a protest encampment, the university’s governing board moves meeting online