A public discussion is scheduled for Monday at Central Michigan University to look at the process used to draw up voting districts and how that process determines the outcome of our elections.
Every ten years, following the census, voting districts and boundaries are redrawn. These lines in Michigan are made by the state legislature.
The anti-gerrymandering group, Voters Not Politicians, raised the question, should there be a special impartial committee to adjust the lines? The required signatures were gathered and the issue will be on the 2018 ballot.
David Rutledge is the Griffin Chair at Central Michigan University. He says all political parties in the past have redrawn the lines as best they can to try to keep their party in the majority.
“This ballet question will evolve around should there be an independent commission redrawing those lines. To as much as you can take the political piece out of it”.
Rutledge says the Griffin Forum will host the panel discussion at CMU titled The Redistricting Dilemma, How the Political Map Determines Elections. The discussion is open to the public Monday at 7:00pm in the Park Library Auditorium.