Proposal 2 passes, slays gerrymandering in Michigan

Michiganders voted to end partisan gerrymandering in Michigan by establishing an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission that takes the power of redistricting away from politicians and lobbyists and gives it to voters.

"Our state constitution begins with, 'All political power is inherent in the people,'" said Katie Fahey, founder and executive director of Voters Not Politicians. "Thousands of volunteers, from every county in our state, and spanning across political party lines, dedicated two years of their time, talents, and passion to make this people-powered campaign a reality. We've proven that when a thoughtful group of passionate citizens ban together to try and fix the problems our politicians won't, we can make our state a better place. I couldn't be more proud of what we have accomplished together, or of how amazing the people of Michigan are."

Proposal 2 ends the state's current practice that allows politicians to operate in secret and draw voting districts for the state Legislature and Congress that benefit select politicians or parties. The proposal establishes an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission that is required to operate in public, with hearings before and after maps are drawn. Under this new constitutional amendment , maps cannot give a politician or party an unfair advantage. The commission will require compromises between its four Republicans, four Democrats, and five non-affiliated members by mandating at least two members of each group support any map before it can be approved.

"Voters Not Politicians and our thousands of volunteers will be monitoring the implementation process and assisting Michigan officials in bringing the independent citizens commission to fruition in accordance with the will of voters," said Voters Not Politicians board president Nancy Wang. "This may be the end of the election process, but it is only the beginning of a new, more transparent redistricting process for our state for decades to come."

An unprecedented army of over 5,000 volunteers across the state collected more than 425,000 signatures to secure Proposal 2 a spot on the ballot, which survived an aggressive legal challenge leading up to the Michigan Supreme Court. More than 14,000 people made grassroots contributions to the campaign. The campaign knocked more than 460,000 doors and made 250,000 phone calls to speak one-on-one to voters, and millions of Michiganders voted yes to end the partisan practice of gerrymandering.

A timeline for implementation of Proposal 2 can be found on the Voters Not Politicians website.