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Changing the redistricting map for Michigan

Posted at 10:49 PM, Nov 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-20 08:37:39-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Redistricting voting lines in Michigan is something that’s been talked about all year long. It's something that many people have called Gerrymandering.

In just 3 months, a group called ‘Voters Not Politicians’ has collected more than the required signatures to get it on the 2018 election ballot.

“We’ve gathered signatures from every single county in Michigan," says Katie Fahey, who volunteers with the organization.

They’ve collected more than 350,000 signatures so far and only 315,000  valid signatures are needed.

Every 10 years voting district maps are redrawn to reflect the ever growing population. It's typically the party in power gets to pull those strings.

“So the next set of lines will be drawn after the 2020 census,” says Fahey. “And then the actual maps will go into the 2022 election.”

Fahey has been collecting signatures because she wants to change the way the process is done. She’s pushing for a system that lets an independent commission decide instead of politicians.

“Our commission protects our commissioners from political bias. By making it so both major parties are represented onto that commission as well as independents and third parties. And these are all regular citizens who hold those political beliefs. And they all have to ultimately agree in the maps in the end.” Says Fahey.

Bob Labrant, a GOP consultant wasn’t available for comment on Sunday. But he spoke to FOX 17 News in February, saying that he felt there was little need to change the way Michigan handles redistricting

“People are moving in with like minded people. The problem isn’t so much the Republicans ‘gaming’ the system, it’s that people are hiring Two Men and a Truck and moving into areas that vote like they do.”

The next step is to get the signatures approved by Michigan’s Secretary of State.

If it makes it on the ballot, it will need a majority vote to pass on November 6th, 2018.