As you may know, a commission of private citizens has been appointed to redraw the heavily gerrymandered lines of Michigan’s voting districts. The commission is still accepting input via their website, and we need to step up to make our voices heard.
The Republicans are making sure their longstanding voter suppression schemes are getting through to the commission members. It’s critical that they also hear from us.
These are the Partisan Fairness Talking Points you may considering making at the commission portal:
In 2018, 61% of Michiganders voted to put the power to draw districting lines into the hands of the people and thus the creation of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Committee (MICRC).
- We want to see new maps with new boundaries, not a redrawing of the old gerrymandered districts.
- The political party that receives the most votes in an election should receive the most seats in Lansing.
- Gerrymandered maps kept Republicans in control of the state legislature, and ignored the will of Michiganders who consistently elected Democrats to statewide offices.
For example.
- Under the previously gerrymandered maps, in 2018, Governor Whitmer won the state by a 9.5% margin, but only won a majority of the votes in half of the State Senate districts.
- Under the previously gerrymandered maps, In 2020, President Biden won Michigan, but earned a majority of votes in less than half of the Michigan House and Senate districts.
We want the MICRC to draw maps with as close to zero political bias as possible.