It’s a complicated ballot this year. Here’s some help!

I’m going to pin this to the top of the blog today to make sure everyone sees it before they head to the polls to vote. In this post is a link to a printable Voters Guide for the non-partisan parts of the Michigan statewide ballot. There are two on each page — one for you and one for a friend. Please share with others.

The 2012 ballot in Michigan is a complicated one, particularly the non-partisan section where we will vote for the Supreme Court seats and the various statewide ballot proposals. In order to help you sort through this part of the ballot, we have put together a Voters Guide. You can download it HERE (pdf). We’ve put two on each page so you can have an extra one for yourself or to give away to friends, family and coworkers.

Obviously, I am recommending that you vote a straight Democratic Party ticket. We have been assured by our County Clerk that you can fill in the spot for your favorite Democrat (like President Obama, for example) and still fill in the straight party spot without spoiling your ballot.

Aside from that, after the jump are the Eclectablog choices for the statewide non-partisan candidates and ballot proposals along with links to interviews with the Michigan Supreme Court candidates and my posts on the six ballot proposals.

The following guest post is by Chad Cyrowski and my good pals at Progress Michigan. They have done the research and put together a fine voters guide for some of the ballot initiatives on the Michigan 2012 ballot along with a new website to help you get informed. I endorse their selections.

– Chris

31 myths in 41 minutes.

That’s how many times Mitt Romney lied, stretched, and fabricated his own truth in the last debate. He even lied about his infamous “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt” prescription for Michigan’s auto industry.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In Michigan, well-heeled special interests backed by large corporations and wealthy individuals will spend millions of dollars on slick TV ads to get your support. So the Michigan League of Responsible Voters is taking their case directly to Michigan’s voters with a no-nonsense ballot proposal guide. Be responsible. Get informed. Check it out at LeagueOfResponsibleVoters.org.

Much more after the jump.

Olympic Boxing gold medalist Claressa Shields, before introducing Vice President Joe Biden, spoke to a crowd of Obama/Biden supporters during a campaign stop at Renaissance High School in Detroit on Wednesday, showing her support for President Obama and Vice President Biden. After that, Vice President Biden gave a rousing speech.

Photos and quotes after the jump.

When you can’t win on the issues, you have to cheat

Earlier this year, Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson decided to add a citizenship checkbox to the voter registration slip you have to fill out to vote. This entirely unnecessary step was seen by many as just one more attempt to freak out voters and dissuade them from voting. Governor Rick Snyder vetoed the legislation that required it but the checkbox was still on the slips, creating mass confusion.

Just what the Republicans wanted.

That and more including the frisking of voters in Detroit by a man wearing fatigues after the jump.

Off to the races

This is by no means a comprehensive round-up of results from yesterday’s primary in Michigan but just a look at some of the races that I’ve been writing about here at Eclectablog and others that I’m interested in, in general.

It’s all after the jump.

Voting is sexy. It’s really astonishing and heartbreaking how few people vote in our country’s primaries. It’s heartbreaking because these are the elections where we can actually impact the political future of our country. If you want your state to be more progressive, it’s at the primary where you can choose between candidates who are more or less progressive. It’s […]

Success doesn’t happen by accident

I’m getting ready to head to Detroit to the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) national conference at the Cobo Center where Anne and I will get to meet Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden this afternoon. It’s a significant day because we are now officially 100 days away from the general election where America will repudiate the Republican party and its ties to wealth & corporate power and give our vote to the team that works for average Americans — Biden & Obama.

What will YOU do with the 100 days you have left?

After the jump is a new video by the Obama campaign, showing the last 100 days before the election through the eyes of an OFA volunteer. It’s worth a look.

“Don’t let anybody tell you that the challenges we face right now are beyond our ability to solve.”

President Barack Obama visited Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio yesterday to talk about the two completely different views he and Romney have about how to create jobs and grow the economy.

Click HERE for read the entire speech or watch the video.

MANY more photos with excerpts from his speech after the jump.

Fired up and ready to GO!

These are a few images from the first official campaign rally for Barack Obama for the 2012 election. It took place in Columbus, Ohio at Ohio State on Saturday, May 5. At the bottom is an interactive panoramic image from the Rally and along with a panoramic still that can be zoomed in so close you can actually find yourself if you were there. Enjoy!

[LOTS of photos (and other treats) after the jump.]