EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

The results of the 2022 elections in Michigan were marked by a narrow Democratic sweep of all the major statewide offices and both houses of the state legislature. The election is also notable for its use of new districts, drawn for the first time by an independent commission.

Before the latest round of redistricting, the state had been an outlier of imbalance between the popular vote and the seats allocated in Congress and the legislature. After years of preparation, how did the commission do?

A panel of experts, including the leader of the effort that ultimately created the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, will examine the results in a webinar 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30. The panel will review how the new approach played out this fall, including its impacts on races and election outcomes, and how it compares to experiences in other states.

Michigan voters changed the state constitution with a ballot initiative in 2018, which created the commission and took redistricting out of the hands of lawmakers. The movement was led by the group, “Voters Not Politicians,” which argued voters should choose their representatives. It passed with a 61% majority.

The commission—composed of four Democrats, four Republicans and five independents—held public consultations across the state and sought to meet specific criteria around the law, equity and communities of interest. Extensive public engagement resulted in over 30,000 submitted comments.

The panel will be moderated by Matt Grossmann, director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and professor of political science and public policy at Michigan State University. It includes Moon Duchin, founder of the MGGG Redistricting Lab at Tufts University; Zach Gorchow, executive editor and publisher of Gongwer News Service; and Nancy Wang, executive director of Voters Not Politicians.

Those interested can register at the event website.

This virtual event is hosted by the Center for Local, State and Urban Policy at U-M’s Ford School of Public Policy, Voters Not Politicians, and Michigan State’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, with support from the Ford School. Co-sponsors include the League of Women Voters of Michigan, U-M Program in Practical Policy Engagement, Gongwer News Service Michigan and Detroit Public Television.