Tag: michigan

sliceosunshine:

Michiganders!

For people looking for more info, the link in the OP goes directly to the article discussed, rather than the tweets in the screenshot.

Here’s a bit about the commission, for example, from the article:

The ballot initiative aims to make the redistricting process more fair by amending the Michigan Constitution to create a 13-member redistricting commission with four Democrats, four Republicans and five independents. The commission would be required to hold at least 10 public hearings as part of the redistricting process….

Under the Michigan proposal, anyone in the general public would be able to apply for a seat on the commission and the Secretary of State’s Office would randomly send out 10,000 mailers inviting people to apply. Applications would be statistically weighted and then chosen at random. Those applying cannot have served as a lobbyist, candidate or officeholder for six years or be closely related to anyone who has. They will be barred from serving in a partisan elected office for five years after they finish their time on the commission.

If you want to learn more about Michigan gerrymandering, here’s a really helpful, extensive article on it – with interactive maps too! (it also talks a bit about Wisconsin’s gerrymandering problem).

Particularly interesting is its explanation of the “efficiency gap”:

It’s a new way to calculate the old political art of gerrymandering. The efficiency gap claims to show how many votes are “wasted” when districts are drawn to “pack” one party’s voters into as few seats as possible and “crack” them by spreading supporters into multiple districts and diluting their power.

In Wisconsin, a federal court panel found that state Assembly districts drawn by the Republican Legislature were so tilted its way they were unconstitutional. The case is being watched closely in Michigan, which some observers say has even more skewed districts.

and this gap is shown in Michigan, for example, in

the 2014 race for state Senate in Michigan, where Republicans barely topped Democrats in total votes but claimed 27 out of 38 seats. In 2016, Republicans beat Democrats by just 1 percent in total votes for Congress yet won nine out 14 seats.

and in Wisconsin:

In 2012 – the first election after redistricting – the formula calculated the gap to be a 13 percent advantage for Wisconsin Republicans. Plaintiffs in the case argued that anything above 7 percent should be deemed unconstitutional.

In 2012, Democrats claimed 51 percent of the vote for Wisconsin state Assembly to 49 percent for Republicans. The GOP, though, won 60 of 99 seats.

And it’s not just in Michigan and Wisconsin that fights over gerrymandering are taking place

Congressional redistricting occurs every 10 years following the U.S. Census. When the current map was drawn, Republicans controlled all three branches of Pennsylvania government. The map, though, did garner significant support from Democrats, especially in areas where lines were drawn seemingly to keep incumbents safe. 

In other words, even ‘disinfranchised’ parties in states will sometimes side with the majority party at the time gerrymandering happens if it means their seat becomes as uncompetative as possible for that congressperson.

Those are the examples off the top of my head, but feel free to google and see what efforts there are in other respective states to fight partisan gerrymandering.

If you’re from Michigan and want to learn more about the group that organized the ballot measure, here’s their website!