The November election is an important opportunity to consider how to address a pressing issue facing the Alpena area: child poverty.

Northeast Michigan has the highest rate of child poverty in Michigan. Nearly 24% of children live in poverty in the Northeast Michigan region, compared to the statewide child poverty rate of 17.6%. The region includes Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, and Roscommon counties.

It is not always obvious when families are struggling, but that means nearly one in four of your neighbors and children’s classmates and the kids you see playing at Mich-e-ke-wis Park may not be getting their basic needs met.

Looking at all households (with and without children) in Northeast Michigan, nearly 46% are either living in poverty or struggling to afford necessities even though they’re employed and technically above the poverty line, a group that United Way refers to as Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed (ALICE).

When so many people are living in survival mode, we miss out on innovation and thriving communities.

Northeast Michigan holds a special place in my heart, as five generations of my family have called Alpena home, and I want kids there to grow up with opportunities to thrive.

The 2024 election gives us a chance to decide how to address child poverty. As we saw in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, elected officials from the national to the local level have a say in the policies and programs intended to address poverty.

In 2020, federal lawmakers passed unprecedented measures, like stimulus checks and expanded unemployment insurance, to keep households afloat at a time when many people were unable to work.

The 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit — which temporarily increased the amount of the tax credit and delivered part of the refund as monthly cash payments — resulted in a historically low child poverty rate in the U.S.

Sadly, those measures have all expired, and poverty rates have been increasing since.

More recently, state lawmakers passed a state budget that directs federal funds to expand Rx Kids, a cash prescription program for pregnant moms and infants that Republican state Sen. John Damoose referred to as “love in action.”

This November, Alpena-area voters will help elect a new president, U.S. senator, state representative, state Supreme Court justices, local court and law enforcement officials, and local government representatives.

Because poverty intersects with every area of our lives — jobs, housing, education, the legal system — all of those elected officials can play a role in addressing poverty.

To support Michigan voters in engaging with candidates on poverty issues, I worked with my colleagues at the University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions research initiative to compile a series of election issue guides with key research findings and potential questions for candidates related to poverty, homelessness, affordable housing, and child care needs in Michigan.

For example, you might ask candidates: What lessons did you learn from the economic downturn of the pandemic that can guide how we provide assistance to meet people’s basic needs going forward? What steps will you take to reduce poverty in Michigan?

The nonpartisan election issue guides are meant as conversation starters to help you feel more informed and prepared to discuss how poverty issues relate to the 2024 election. Check out the guides at PovertyOnTheBallot.org.

As voters, we have the power to keep poverty top-of-mind for candidates going into the November election. We can hold elected officials accountable for putting policies and programs in place to ensure children’s basic needs are met and the next generation is set up for success.

Make your voice heard, and make a plan to vote in November.

Lauren Slagter is director of communications and public engagement at Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, a university-wide initiative that partners with policymakers and community groups to find new ways to prevent and alleviate poverty through action-based research.