It’s not too late to vote absentee! Stop by your local clerk’s office ASAP to request or drop off an absentee ballot. All ballots MUST be in your clerk’s hands by 8 p.m. on Tuesday. https://t.co/IzmzTNvILn

— Progress Michigan (@ProgressMich) November 3, 2018

Whether you are progressive, conservative, or independent, there are many reasons to vote in the Wolverine State. I’ve written about the redistricting reform there, Proposal 2, which may level the playing field there for citizens and both parties permanently.

But wait, there are many more reasons! The net effect will alter the face of democracy in Michigan in a far deeper way than most people appreciate.

In addition to redistricting reform, there is also Proposal 3, automatic voter registration, which expands the voter pool hugely – much larger than the effect of voter suppression in other states. Together with redistricting reform, something big is going to hit Michigan in the next few years. And of course, all this will be overseen by whomever is elected Secretary of State next week.

As if there weren’t enough, there are four Congressional districts that are gerrymandered…but the swing in national opinion is magnified in these districts: Districts 3, 6, 7, and 11. Get-out-the-vote activites are especially powerful in these places.

In the state Supreme Court, two seats are up for election. The Democratic candidates are legal scholar Sam Bagenstos and attorney Megan Cavanagh. If these candidates win, that would make the court 4 Democrats, 3 Republicans (it’s now 5 Republicans, 2 Democrats). The Republican candidates are incumbents Kurtis Wilder and Elizabeth Clement, appointed to the court by departing governor Rick Snyder. Democrats may have an advantage, since their candidate for governor Gretchen Whitmer has a large lead in her race. However, note that party affiliation for state Supreme Court does not appear on the ballot.

Not sold yet? There is also Proposal 1, a recreational marijuana legalization initiative.