On Saturday, Sept. 10, Hillsdale College For Life sent students door-knocking in Jonesville to secure votes against Proposal 3, an amendment that would add abortion rights to Michigan’s Constitution.
“This is the best use of our time until November,” said sophomore Rachel Schroder, leader of Hillsdale College for Life.
Students reached 224 voters in Jonesville this weekend. There were 170 doors knocked and 26 conversations. Last Saturday, students knocked on 561 doors and had 155 conversations with voters in Hillsdale. When residents didn’t respond, students left pro-life literature at their door and planned to return.
The goal of door knocking is to mobilize potential voters who might not know how or where to vote against Proposition 3, Schroder said.
Proposal 3, also known as the Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative, would allow abortion through all nine months and partial-birth abortion. In addition, the proposal would decrease safety and health regulations and eliminate parental consent for minors and proper certification for doctors, Schroder said.
If the person answering the door is extremely pro-choice or extremely pro-life, the student thanks them and moves on. When someone answers the door who seems on the fence about abortion, the student provides information about the bill, according to Schroder and Grace Marks, HCFL secretary.
If the person says they are pro-choice, Schroder said the student will follow up with questions to find common ground.
“We’re trying to snag as many swing votes as we can,” sophomore Bank Bodor said.
According to Marks, the ballot for Proposal 3 is designed to confuse voters and even contains strings of words without spaces between them. Two years ago, that was enough to keep it from getting through the Michigan Supreme Court. But after getting enough signatures, it has moved forward.
Marks said the ballot was unfairly represented to its signers.
“This amendment is so extreme that even if you are pro-choice, you should be against it,” Marks said. “Because of a pro-life law being thrown out, nothing is set in stone regulating abortion. But this amendment would end the conversation.”
Schroder is encouraging Hillsdale students who live in non-purple states to change their residency to Michigan, so they can vote against the proposal. She also encouraged the whole campus to unite in prayer.
“It’s really easy to think it’s over with Roe v. Wade, but it’s not,” Schroder said. “It’s vitally important to prevent a permanent change in the Michigan State Constitution that would doom tens of thousands of pre-born children to the violence of abortion for generations to come.”