YALLA VOTE ‘08 Our Voice. Our Future.

The polls closed Tuesday night August 5^th on Michigan’s state primary elections, and as we recuperate here in the office, it seems like all our hustle over the last two weeks has paid off – at least a bit – in the face of dismally low general voter turn out.

Jana lets Michigan know: Voting is just as important as eating your fruits and vegetables.

As we neared the primaries on Tuesday, we took to the streets to post flyers, urging people to vote, and passed out handbills at local mosques and businesses. On Tuesday our volunteers called local AAI members with a last minute message to get out and vote.

Arab Americans were involved in all aspects of the elections: volunteering, voting, working at the polls, getting-out-the-vote. Many ran on the ballot as precinct delegate candidates and a few others ran for their parties’ state representative nomination in their respective districts.

In the 12^th District, which includes the multi-ethnic communities of Southwest Detroit, Rashida Tlaib won the Democratic nomination by a landslide, as the first of eight candidates.

John Kuriakuz (D) of the 39^th District came in as the 2^nd of two candidates, despite large get-out-the-vote efforts in the Chaldean community.

Hana Alawy (on the left) and Iraqiah Musaad, along with Addbah Musaad (not pictured), work the polls in Dearborn, MI.

Thanks to all our volunteers who helped us get-out-the-vote this week here in Michigan! We’re not slowing down anytime soon.

-Amir