Applications for the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission are still being accepted and processed virtually, despite the ongoing challenges of COVID-19.

The commission will be tasked with drawing district lines for the Michigan Legislature and Michigan’s members of Congress for the 2022 election.

The application window for the commission is still set to close on June 1. Registered voters can apply online to serve on the commission and several e-notaries are waiving their fees to help this process continue during the pandemic.

“Democracy is sacrosanct, perhaps especially when our society faces uncertainty,” Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state said. “We can and must provide safe ways for Michiganders to maintain their democratic rights as we take on the coronavirus.”

The state announced last week that the Michigan Department of State has already processed 4,332 notarized applications for the commission, putting Michigan “on track to surpass the number of final submissions processed by California when it first launched a similar commission.”  

“Michiganders remain as committed to participating in our democracy as they were in 2018 when voters amended our state constitution to create this commission and make our election districts fairer,” Benson said. “Surpassing California’s number of final completed applications demonstrates the tremendous enthusiasm for democracy in Michigan.”

While Michigan has received thousands of applications, there are growing concerns whether the pool of applicants is reflective of the state’s demographics and includes diverse representation.

The state is tracking detailed information on the applicant pool. The data from the 4,332 applications received to date shows that:

• The majority of applicants are white (3,675). Only 9% (390) are African Americans and 1.3% (56) are Asian Americans. You can view the complete data here.

• 59% of the applicants are men.

• 82% of the applicants are over the age of 45.

To ensure there are diverse representation and voices serving on the commission and broad participation in developing inclusive maps, CMF encourages members to share the online application with their networks.

“This commission is responsible for drawing district lines and shaping our democracy. Moving the application process to an all-virtual platform with free e-notaries helps to remove barriers for those who otherwise may not have been able to participate in the process,” Regina Bell, director of government relations and public policy at CMF said. “We have an opportunity to encourage community members and leaders and next-generation leaders to apply and help shape a commission that is representative of our state.”

As CMF’s policy team shared in the latest edition of The Policy Brief, the commission is expected to begin working this fall and will have one year to determine district lines, which will be used for elections in 2022.

While the initial applicant pool must be representative of the state’s population in terms of geography, race, age and gender, the speaker of the house, majority and minority leader legislators will have the option to disqualify up to five applicants each before the Secretary of State’s Office randomly selects the final 13 commissioners.

Want more?

Apply to serve on the commission.

Share the application with your networks.

The state directs anyone with questions on the process to email: Redistricting@Michigan.gov.