It's been almost two weeks since Michigan's primary, and I think there are some important lessons to be drawn from it.

Despite our mess of a primary, Michigan voters really showed how badly we wanted to make our voices heard.  Our Secretary of State reported this was the third highest turnout ever for a Michigan primary.  The Republican primary got a lot of attention for Michigan, and brought some issues important to the state to the forefront.  The Democratic primary, on the other hand, brought to the forefront the dysfunction of the Democratic party in Michigan.  A lot of voters were unhappy with the choices on the ballot, resulting in 40% of voters choosing "Uncommitted".

A lot of voters were unhappy with the primary process, too, and we heard from a few of them at WhoStoleMiVote.org.  Quite a few, actually.  Since the site was set up just a few weeks ago, over 1000 visitors have seen it, we've and collected dozens of signatures on our online petition.  Thanks to all of you for your support!

The question I'm hearing from a lot of people now is: What's next?  Personally, I think it's important not to get caught up in the excitement of the primary and forget that we were deprived of our voice.  There are still several months between now and the end of campaign season, and I believe that the individuals in the Democratic party who gutted our election are counting on Michigan voters forgetting about the primary by then.  If we want to prevent this from happening again, it's important that we don't forget.

In the coming months, all of us will be inundated by phone calls, emails, and mailings from various candidates asking us for donations.  While you are being asked for your donation, you will have a chance to let the candidate or the party know how you feel.  Whether or not you decide to donate, please take the opportunity to share your thoughts on the primary process.  One person I spoke to received a call from the Michigan Democratic Party shortly after the primary asking for a donation.  This person explained that he was not making his usual donation because of the primary fiasco.  The fundraiser responded, "I'm sorry you feel that way," then after a short pause continued, "we've been getting a lot of that.".  People do listen when they hear from enough people, and if their fundraising efforts fall short, maybe they will think twice before excluding states from the primary process.

What else can you do?  Please keep letting people know about WhoStoleMiVote.org!  You can use the easy "Tell a Friend" link to send a short email to a group of your friends or colleagues giving them a link to the site.

If you haven't already, please contact your state legislator and party leadership and let them know your feelings.  Also consider signing our online petition.

Finally, we have made some items available to let people outside of the digital world know that this issue matters to you.  You can now get bumper stickers, buttons, T-shirts, and more with the WhoStoleMiVote logo and name on it, at the WhoStoleMiVote online store.  All items are sold at cost, and nobody at WhoStoleMiVote makes a dime on it; it's just a way to help you express yourself.