2021 Communities of Interest Engagement Program

The MI Constitution defines Communities of Interest as…

“Districts shall reflect the state’s diverse population and communities of interest. Communities of interest may include, but shall not be limited to, populations that share cultural or historical characteristics or economic interests.”

Communities do not include relationships with political parties, public officials or candidates for public office.

Communities of Interest are one of the most important criteria the Commission must consider in deciding how to draw the district lines. The Commission will want to hear from you about your Community, and how the voting district lines should be drawn to give your Community more of a voice in government.

The Commission will be holding at least 15 public hearings to take public testimony about what the people of Michigan want to see happen with redistricting, and how their Communities can be better served by the government. The Commission schedule is publicly available on the Secretary of State’s website. Your community should plan to testify at the public hearings and also send information to the Commission. To support you in doing that, VNP can...

• Provide presentations and handouts to your community about the redistricting process about how it works and its significance.
• Strategize with you on how to present testimony to the Commission. 
• Provide a mapping tool (Representable.org) and guidance on using it so that you can describe your Community and draw a map of its boundaries for the Commission.
• Offer a paper and pencil form for submitting written testimony and a map.
• Provide regular follow-up to answer your questions and confirm progress on your Community’s submissions to the Commission.

Here are topics of interest to the Commission:

• What does your Community need from the government? Schools? Better Health Care? Social Services? Public Transportation? Better Roads? Safe Water? Environmental Justice? 
• How is Your Community Connected? Shared Culture? Shared Government Services? Shared economic issues? Shared history? 
• What are the boundaries of your Community?
• Where is your Community located? Which area(s) do you want to keep together in the new voting districts? Why is it important not to split your Community into separate districts?

Along with census data, publicly submitted comments will be used to inform the Commission when it begins drawing district boundaries. The focus of public testimony is to receive information about the unique characteristics of the public’s communities of interest from those most familiar with their neighborhoods.

Of course, no one can predict exactly how the new redistricting process will change the political makeup of Michigan. However, the Commission must follow the specific criteria outlined in the state constitution as it draws the new district lines. The process must be open and transparent, and the Commission is prohibited from favoring one political party over another. We expect that district maps will put political power in the hands of Michigan Communities, and not favor or disfavor any political party.