Before you vote: These are facts, issues shaping Michigan in 2020 election

Once again, Michigan could help decide the presidency and so much more.

As always, the Center for Michigan and Bridge Michigan are dedicated to helping voters make informed decisions for the Nov. 3 election that will decide the presidency, 14 congressional districts, all 110 state House of Representatives seats, two state Supreme Court seats, a pair of ballot measures and dozens of local races

To help sift through the rhetoric in a season prone to hyperbole, Bridge is pleased to reshare its 2020 Fact & Issue Guide, a 12-chapter primer on Michigan’s most important issues and the facts that frame them.

Originally published before the March primary and updated to include information about the coronavirus pandemic, the easy-to-read guide includes nonpartisan, fact-based information about everything from educational outcomes and income inequality to health care and college access.

The guide is part of an expanding tool kit to better inform citizens, and comes in addition to ongoing issues coverage, the Fact Squad that separates truth from fiction in political ads, the Elections Tracker about daily developments and campaign stops, how-to guides on the mechanics of voting and a new feature that asks readers to help frame our election coverage.

In the days ahead, Bridge also will unveil a new feature that tracks absentee ballot returns by county; a guide to candidates’ stances on health care; and deep looks at everything from training of poll workers to how Democrats and Republicans are preparing for a possible nightmare scenario on or after Election Day.

To request a printed copy, please send an email to jkurth@bridgemi.com and include your mailing address. 

As always, thanks so much for your continued support.

2020 Michigan Fact & Issue Guide

• 50 facts that frame Michigan, from health care and poverty to crime
• Michigan K-12 test scores slowly improving, but remain mediocre at best
• Early childhood education is key to success. Michigan still has work to do.
• Michigan college tuition hikes leave average graduate with $35K in debt
• Jobs up, poverty declines as Michigan emerges from Great Recession hangover
• Incomes climb in Michigan, but state still struggles with loss of manufacturing
• Michigan has great access to health care. Health outcomes are another story
• Michigan’s cherished Great Lakes, clean waters face threats from all sides
• Michigan roads are infamously bad. But sewers and dams are in rough shape too
• Michigan doles out more in tax breaks than it spends on schools
• Michigan employs 48K people. A quarter of them work in prisons.
• Nearly 200 Michigan communities are financially distressed, despite economy
• Michigan is a toss-up state again after favoring Democrats for a generation