LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Michigan Secretary of State (SOS) has announced that the first 1,000 applications for the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission have been returned and notarized.
Previously, 250,000 applications were mailed out to Michigan citizens toward the end of 2019. The SOS reports that the returned applications have been processed by the Department of State.
“This process has been citizen-led from beginning to end, and it is inspiring to see so many Michiganders actively participate in our democracy and get involved,” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a statement. “The results so far have exceeded our expectations and reflect overwhelming public support and excitement for the opportunity for voters to determine fair and competitive districts.”
The final commission will consist of 13 randomly selected applicants. There will be four Democratic voters, four Republican voters, and five unaffiliated voters.
The applicants will then be tasked with adopting district boundaries in Michigan for the state Senate, state House of Representatives and U.S. Congress.
The SOS says that a breakdown of demographics for applicants will be released in the coming weeks. All applications must be returned by June 1, 2020, to qualify.
The commission must adopt a new redistricting plan for Michigan by Nov. 1, 2021.
More information on the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission can be found by visiting RedistrictingMichigan.org. Questions can also be forwarded by email to Redistricting@Michigan.gov.
