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vnpef-logo-04
  • About VNPEF
    • Meet the Staff
    • Meet the Board
    • Contact Us
    • Transparency
  • Our Work
    • Volunteer Nonpartisan Poll Challenger
    • My City Votes
    • Voting Access
    • Democracy Academy
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Refresher on Michigan’s New Redistricting Process

Proposal 18-2, authored and championed by Voters Not Politicians, established the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC). 61% of Michigan voters approved the passage of Proposal 18-2. Michigan’s new redistricting process requires that voters – not politicians – draw the political maps for Congress, the Michigan State Senate, and the Michigan State House every ten years. The entire process is required to be fair, impartial, and transparent. 

As a reminder, Voters Not Politicians was the citizen-led force which developed this process, and championed it to the ballot. From there, the Secretary of State’s office took responsibility for executing the commissioner selection process (explained below) and then the commission itself executed the process of drawing and approving the district maps. 

Here’s what that process looked like in full:

Key Points 

  • MICRC is made up of everyday citizens. It is comprised of 4 Democrats, 4 Republicans, and 5 non-affiliated members. The selection process involves a weighted random drawing from a pool of qualified applicants to create a diverse and representative commission. Voters Not Politicians designed this selection process to put redistricting in the hands of independent public servants and to give every voter the opportunity to be represented in the redistricting process.
    1. Commissioners must be at least 18 years of age and a registered Michigan voter. 
    2. Commissioners must NOT be or in the past six years have been any of the following;
      • A candidate or elected official for partisan federal, state, or local office
      • An officer or member of the governing body of a political party
      • A paid consultant or employee of an elected official or candidate
      • An employee of the legislature
      • A registered lobbyist
      • An immediate family member of any individual listed above
  • The redistricting process must be transparent. Michiganders want a redistricting process that is transparent to the people and allows every voter to make their voice heard.
    1. Meetings held by the MICRC must be live-streamed and available to the public. 
    2. Every resident of Michigan has the right to give public comment before, during, and after map drawing. 
    3. A minimum of 15 public hearings are required before final maps can be approved
  • The Michigan constitution requires fair maps and provides for seven ranked criteria.
    1. Equal population and compliance with the Voting Rights Act and other federal laws
    2. Geographically contiguous 
    3. Maps reflect the state’s diverse population and communities of interest
    4. No advantage to any political party
    5. No advantage to any incumbent or candidate
    6. Consideration of municipal boundaries
    7. Reasonably compact
  • Maps must be approved by a constitutional majority of the commission.
    • The final maps must be approved by a majority of the commissioners, including at least two Democrats, two Republicans, and two non-affiliated members.
  • Only the independent commission can approve district maps. 
    • The voter-approved constitutional amendment specifies that “in no event shall any body, except the independent citizens redistricting commission acting pursuant to this Section, promulgate and adopt a redistricting plan or plans for this state,” including in cases where legal challenges result in court-ordered remedies or redrawing of district lines. 

What’s Next

The next steps for the MICRC involve adhering to the court’s order for the redrawing of specific districts in metro Detroit. The commission is tasked with completing this process by February 2nd, 2024, ensuring compliance with legal requirements and addressing concerns raised during the court proceedings. There will be a designated public comment period, where the MICRC will actively seek input from the public. 

This commitment to an inclusive and participatory process reflects the MICRC’s dedication to upholding the core principles of the Proposal 18-2 constitutional framework that Michigan voters approved. While this process will take time, it will be transparent, and will  ensure that voters, not politicians, draw the lines. 

Blog: Sharing What We Love About Our Democracy (And What We’re Taking on Next)

“Would you like information about your new voting rights, courtesy of Voters Not Politicians? We ended gerrymandering in 2018, expanding voting rights in 2022, and now we’re working on bringing ethics and transparency reforms to our state government.”

This might sound familiar to you if you happened to walk by the nonprofits section of the Ann Arbor Art Fair last month. Organized by the Ann Arbor team of Voters Not Politicians volunteers, the VNP table was a space to share information about the pro-democracy success Voters Not Politicians has achieved in our state. Volunteers passed out flyers that detailed new voting options that are available in Michigan, thanks in part to the thousands of VNP volunteers who gathered over 171,000 signatures to put Proposal 2 on the ballot in 2022. 

Volunteers also shared the pro-democracy priorities that Voters Not Politicians is working on right now, including explaining how we can bring ethics and transparency reforms to the legislature and governor’s office, and introducing the problem of, and solutions to, prison gerrymandering. Many attendees were excited and curious to hear about these new avenues of democracy reform, and we look forward to sharing more information and mobilizing the public to enact these changes.

We also had an incredible opportunity to get feedback from everyday Michigan voters on their thoughts of the current state of democracy in Michigan and in the country as a whole. Several attendees took the time to share their thoughts on our democracy and on Voters Not Politicians’ growing pro-democracy movement, including a mother interviewing her young son on what democracy in America means to him. Volunteers at the table also shared why they take the time to work with Voters Not Politicians and the value they feel our organization brings to Michigan’s democracy.

While every Michigan voter has benefited from the pro-democracy successes of Voters Not Politicians and Voters Ed Fund, the Ann Arbor Art Fair, and other tabling events this summer, have given us the opportunity to remind the public of the value of Voters Not Politicians’ grassroots pro-democracy movement: from ending gerrymandering, to expanding voting rights, to launching innovative voter outreach and education programs. 

Even our staff here at VNP got the opportunity to come out and enjoy the weather and the work of our dedicated volunteers! We’d like to thank the entire Ann Arbor volunteer leadership team, especially Lisa, Rita, and Marie for their work in organizing this opportunity, as well as every volunteer who took the time to staff the VNP table and share their passion for VNP and voting rights with their fellow Michiganders. And an extra special thank you to Chris for filming and editing the attendee and volunteer interviews into a powerful profile of Voters Not Politicians’ impact on our strengthening democracy. Look out for that video on our website and socials this month!

Sign Up to join the Voters Ed Fund!

Voters Ed Fund is the leading grassroots pro-democracy organization in Michigan with a strong track record of engaging Michiganders across the state and across the political spectrum because the interests we share as voters transcend partisanship!

Get In Touch!

(517) 334-0121

PO Box 16180, Lansing, MI 48901

info@votersedfund.com

About VNPEF

Voters Not Politicians Education Fund is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and the affiliated 501(c)(3) of Voters Not Politicians.

All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

© 2022 Voters Not Politicians Education Fund. All Rights Reserved.