The following quote can be attributed to Nancy Wang, Executive Director of Voters Not Politicians, on the resignation and consequential random selection of a replacement to serve on Michigan’s first Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission:
The constitutional amendment that established the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission written with input from thousands of Michigan voters anticipated that there may be circumstances that prevent commissioners from fulfilling their duties. We are pleased to see the Secretary of State’s office following the administrative procedures provided in the amendment to move the process forward.
The process of selecting the 13 commissioners included an open application period, as well as applicants who received one of 250,000 applications mailed by the Secretary of State encouraging eligible voters to apply to serve on the commission. Applicants with an inherent conflict of interest – lobbyists, partisan politicians, and their staff and immediate family members – were disqualified from serving on the commission. A random selection process that included limited legislative strikes to the semi-finalist pool resulted in the final selection of the 13 commissioners meeting today – four Republicans, four Democrats, and five voters who do not affiliate with either party.
The Governor and Legislature are required to approve a budget for the commission for FY 2021 by December 1, and the commission must hold at least 15 public meetings to gather public input before they approve the state’s next set of legislative and Congressional district maps. The commission must adopt final maps by November 1, 2021. A major factor in the commissions’ work will be the federal government’s release of the 2020 U.S. Census data, which is expected in July 2021.
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Voters Not Politicians is a nonpartisan advocacy organization that works to strengthen democracy by engaging people across Michigan in effective citizen action. Learn more at www.votersnotpoliticians.com.
