By Michael Piwowarski
Michigan citizens are now able to apply to serve on the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission.
The commission exists to redraw congressional districts every 10 years, in order to accurately reflect their population. A proposition was passed in the November 2018 election to restructure Michigan’s redistricting process, amending Article IV, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution.
The work is now done by a commission of 13 randomly selected voters: four that identify as Republican, four as Democrat and five independents.
Applicants are required to be registered voters in the state of Michigan. Certain groups of people, including partisan government officials and political candidates, or other special interests, are disqualified.
The deadline to apply is June 1. Following the deadline, 200 applicants will be randomly selected as semi-finalists. The final selection of 13 will be made randomly by August 2020.
The newly selected commission will start convening in the fall. Each commissioner will receive approximately $40,000 in compensation. District lines will be drawn by November 2021 and will take effect for the 2022 election cycle.
Citizens can apply online and find more information, including guidelines and requirements for applications, at RedistrictingMichigan.org.
