Effort to Boost Voter Turnout on Drummond Island Through Local Focus

Island Community Mobilizes to Overcome Voting Barriers

In Michigan, where voter turnout often falters during midterm elections, a small community is striving to break the trend. Drummond Island, situated at the eastern tip of the Upper Peninsula, is making a concerted effort to ensure its residents’ voices are heard at the polls.

Voting in Drummond Island Township presents unique challenges. The island, covering 134 square miles, has only one voting precinct available on Election Day. For residents who wish to vote early, they must travel to Kincheloe on the mainland, a trip that involves a ferry ride and a 50-mile drive each way.

“That is a 50-mile one-way trip off the island,” explained Drummond Island Township Supervisor Krystal Truax. “So, you have the ferry fare plus the time, plus the hour there, then you vote, then the hour back, [then] back on to the ferry.”

Despite these obstacles, the island’s voter turnout has traditionally exceeded state averages. During the 2024 presidential election, 74% of the island’s registered voters participated, and 63% turned out for the 2022 midterms. This year, Truax is determined to engage all 1,116 registered voters.

Technology entrepreneur Bob Chunn, who relocated to Drummond Island during the COVID-19 pandemic, is spearheading the initiative. After feeling disillusioned post-2016 election, Chunn founded a nonprofit to provide voters with critical information and is now testing a new outreach strategy on the island.

“It’s kind of an experiment to see how high you can push the envelope. The bar is pretty darn low in my view,” Chunn remarked.

The strategy includes sending reminders, door-to-door outreach, and facilitating transportation to polling stations. Chunn emphasizes the importance of local issues to engage voters who are disenchanted with national politics, such as the school millage on the ballot.

“Immediately, when people start talking about Washington, Lansing, they don’t like politicians, I’m saying skip all that. Don’t vote for any of it. But vote for the millage, the schools,” Chunn advised.

At a recent town hall, resident Tom Salwoski shared why he previously abstained from voting, feeling that his vote was inconsequential amidst negative political ads. However, learning more about local ballot issues, like the school millage, altered his perspective.

“It’s all stuff that I heard about but just never understood it. So now that I understand a little bit more, I feel more comfortable about going down the ballot and learning a little bit more, which I wasn’t really open to before,” Salwoski stated.

The ongoing effort on Drummond Island is a testament to the belief that all politics is local. By focusing on issues directly impacting their community, residents hope to increase voter turnout and inspire other regions to follow suit.