VNP in the News
LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission has three spots open. The organization tasked with drawing new voting district maps for Michigan should receive their new members through random selection on Wednesday. “To select 13 redistricting commissioners, the Constitution lays out a two-step process,” said Charlie Beall, the director of education […]
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ANN ARBOR, MI (MPRN)— Michigan will soon have three new commissioners sitting on the beleaguered board that draws the state’s electoral maps. The new commissioners will be randomly drawn from a pool of semifinalists who applied to be on the commission, but not everyone in that pool is weighted equally. There’s some data magic to […]
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Michigan’s political landscape was upended this week when a federal court ordered mapmakers to redraw 13 metro Detroit legislative districts, a task that could potentially change the balance of power in Lansing. Much remains unknown after a three-judge panel on Thursday sided with a group of metro Detroit Black voters seeking a redraw of the […]
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EAST LANSING, Mich. — Malijah Gee was first incarcerated in a Michigan prison when he was about 17 years old. “I came here as a youth, so I was never able to vote,” Gee said. After spending 36 years behind bars, Gee is expected to be released early next year, and he says he’s excited […]
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A new online system for processing requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for the Department of Elections was unveiled Tuesday by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Hailing it as another piece of her effort to increase government transparency, Benson said the system would help bring Michigan forward from its current status. Calling […]
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Grand Rapids’ LINK UP hosted a town hall Wednesday evening devoted to educating the public about new Michigan voting laws. The Grand Rapids Voter Access Town Hall is bringing together community leaders along with Kent County and Grand Rapids government officials focused on helping community members navigate new voting laws. In particular, new voting rights […]
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Michigan on Thursday became the first U.S. state to automatically register people to vote when they are released from prison, part of a slew of new election laws that also affect artificial intelligence, harassment and young voters. House Bill 4983, signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, requires the Secretary of State’s office and Department of Corrections […]
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Eyeing 2024, Michigan Democrats expand voter registration and election safeguards in the swing state
Michigan Democrats are building on an effort to overhaul election laws in the state by allowing 16-year-olds to register before they can legally vote at 18 and adding more protections for election officials ahead of a 2024 presidential election that the swing state could play a critical role in. The election bills package, signed Thursday […]
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When Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown looks back on the nine days of early voting she administered in the lead-up to Michigan’s Nov. 7 local elections, she considers it not only a logistical success, but a good time for those working the polls. The southeast Michigan county was one of ten throughout the state where some voters […]
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Over the last five years, Michigan has become a centre of U.S. electoral reform. The state has abolished gerrymandering, enacted a slew of measures making it easier to vote, cracked down on voter suppression attempts, and imposed new financial disclosure requirements on politicians. The moves to improve the democratic system were all enacted by using […]
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