Michigan Department of State, U.S. Small Business Administration announce voter registration agreement
Michigan is the first state in the nation to collaborate with SBA to promote voter registration and civic engagement
LANSING, Mich. – Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote civic engagement and voter registration in Michigan. The agreement, a first-of-its-kind collaboration for the federal agency, will run through Jan. 1, 2036.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy. Like voting, they play a direct role in improving people’s lives,” Secretary Benson said. “I’m proud we are working with the Small Business Administration for this first-in-the-nation effort connecting Michigan’s small business community with the tools and information they need to play an even greater active role in our democracy.”
“Protecting and strengthening our democracy is critical to our economic success and a core goal of the Biden-Harris Administration,” said Administrator Guzman. “Through this memorandum of understanding, the SBA will help connect Michiganders to vital voter registration information from the State of Michigan so that more small business owners can exercise their right to vote. Small businesses are busy working on and in their businesses, and by meeting them where they are – on our website and at our small business outreach events – we can help facilitate voter registration and civic engagement, so their voices are heard.”
As part of the MOU, the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) will create a unique URL for the SBA to use to drive online visitors to register to vote. The SBA’s Michigan field office may also allow MDOS officials to conduct in-person voter registration at the SBA’s small business outreach events. Michigan boasts a thriving small business community, with more than 900,000 small businesses that employ 1.9 million Michiganders.
One of President Biden’s first actions upon taking office was issuing Executive Order 14019, which called upon federal agencies like the SBA to “consider ways to expand citizens’ opportunities to register to vote.” Under this Executive Order, Michigan has also partnered with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide voter registration information and assistance to veterans and their families at three pilot sites: the Saginaw VA Medical Center, the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit, and the Detroit VA Regional Office. Michigan is the first and only state in the nation partnering with the VA to make it easier for veterans to exercise their fundamental right to vote.
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