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Public sector union contributions to Voters Not Politicians (VNP)

by | Sep 11, 2026

Introduction

The following is a report generated by Google's Gemini using its deep research tool.

The AI Query

Please itemize all the contributions that public sector unions, including the AFT, SEIU, and NEA have given to Voters Not Politicians either directly or indirectly from 2018 through 2026. An indirect contribution may be viewed as one funneled through another organization, such as the Sixteen Thirty Fund. I understand that it can be very difficult or impossible to track indirect contributions, so focusing on direct contributions is fine.

The AI Report

Public sector unions and major labor organizations—specifically the National Education Association (NEA), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), along with state-level affiliates like AFT Michigan and the Michigan Education Association (MEA)—have played a central role in financing and organizing field support for Voters Not Politicians (operating legally as Count MI Vote and its ballot committees).

Below is an itemized breakdown of the direct contributions (cash and itemized disbursements) and indirect/coalition pathways from public sector unions to Voters Not Politicians (VNP) from 2018 through 2026.

Itemized Direct Union Contributions (2018–2026)

1. Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

  • 2018 Cycle (Proposal 2 – Independent Redistricting Commission):
    • Donor: SEIU UHW-West (United Healthcare Workers West / Local 1877)
    • Recipient: Count MI Vote / Voters Not Politicians
    • Amount: $500,000 (Direct cash contribution)
    • Purpose: Major seed funding for the signature drive and media campaign establishing Michigan's Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission.
  • 2022 Cycle (Proposal 2 – Promote the Vote):
    • Donor: SEIU Michigan State Council
    • Recipient: Promote the Vote 2022 (Co-founded and heavily supported by VNP)
    • Support: In-kind field organizing, GOTV deployment, and coalition endorsements.

2. National Education Association (NEA) & Affiliates

  • 2018 Cycle (Proposal 2 – Independent Redistricting Commission):
    • Donor: National Education Association (National)
    • Recipient: Count MI Vote / Voters Not Politicians
    • Amount: $50,000 (Direct cash contribution, Sept. 19, 2018)
    • Purpose: Ballot campaign support.
  • 2020 Cycle (Post-Redistricting Implementation):
    • Donor: National Education Association
    • Recipient: Voters Not Politicians
    • Amount:$125,000 (Advocacy & program support)
  • Annual Federal LM-2 Disclosures:
    • Donor: National Education Association
    • Recipient: Voters Not Politicians
    • Amount: $17,957 (Itemized consulting/disbursements)
  • 2025–2026 Cycle (Michiganders for Money Out of Politics – Monopoly Utility Ban):
    • Donor: National Education Association
    • Recipient: Michiganders for Money Out of Politics (Ballot Question Committee co-led by VNP)
    • Amount: $150,000 (Direct cash contribution, Dec. 2025)
    • Purpose: Seed capital for the ballot initiative banning political contributions from regulated monopoly utilities (DTE, Consumers Energy) and state government contractors.

3. American Federation of Teachers (AFT) & AFT Michigan

  • 2018 Cycle (Proposal 2 – Independent Redistricting Commission):
    • Donor: American Federation of Teachers (National)
    • Recipient: Count MI Vote / Voters Not Politicians
    • Amount: $50,000 (Direct cash contribution, Sept. 19, 2018)
    • Purpose: Ballot campaign support.
  • Grassroots & In-Kind Support (AFT Michigan):
    • Donor: AFT Michigan
    • Type: In-kind labor, door-to-door canvas mobilization, and volunteer network deployment.
    • Details: AFT Michigan leadership and local members actively organized door-knocking campaigns alongside the Michigan Education Association (MEA) and AFL-CIO to drive voter turn-out for VNP's ballot initiatives.

Summary of Tracked Direct Union Cash Contributions

  • SEIU (UHW-West / Local 1877):$500,000
    [cite: 1, 2]
  • National Education Association (NEA):$342,957
    [cite: 6]
  • American Federation of Teachers (AFT):$50,000
    [cite: 6]
  • Total Direct Tracked Union Cash:~$892,957
    [cite: 1, 2, 6]

Indirect Pathways and Coalition Funding Dynamics

While tracking every dollar funneled through intermediary entities is complex due to 501(c)(4) tax structures, public sector unions contribute to VNP through two primary indirect mechanisms:

  1. Pass-Through Clearinghouses (e.g., Sixteen Thirty Fund):
    • National public sector unions (including the NEA, SEIU, and AFT) are major institutional contributors to 501(c)(4) pass-through entities like the Sixteen Thirty Fund.
    • The Sixteen Thirty Fund has been VNP’s single largest institutional sponsor, granting $6.75 million directly to VNP/Count MI Vote and $11.26 million to the VNP-backed Promote the Vote 2022 campaign.
  2. Coalition In-Kind Operations (Promote the Vote & Michiganders for Money Out of Politics):
    • During the 2022 voting policy campaign (Proposal 2), VNP operated as a core partner in the Promote the Vote 2022 coalition. VNP transferred $1.82 million in cash and in-kind field support directly to the committee.
    • Public sector unions—including AFT Michigan, SEIU Michigan State Council, and the MEA—officially endorsed the coalition, deploying union staff and volunteer canvassers to support VNP's field operations across the state.