This forum will focus attention on Michigan's voter districts, how they are determined, and reforms currently being discussed in election circles. States across our nation vary in how they determine voter districts. Both main political parties have previously claimed "partisan gerrymandering" or the formation of districts that lean votes in one party's favor of the other party. This expert panel will consider Michigan's history for drawing district lines, layout proposals for moving our State forward, and provide understanding of gerrymandering practices and their outcomes. Panelists include:
Panelist Biographical Information
Corwin Smidt, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Michigan State University
Redistricting Practices, Gerrymandering Defined, and Related Research (.pdf)
Richard D. McLellan, McLellan Law Offices, PLLC, Chairman of the Michigan Law Revision Commission Adjunct Associate Professor, MSU’s College of Communication Arts & Sciences
Redistricting's History and Where we are Today
Davia Downey, Assistant Professor of Public Administration and Director of the MPA Program, Grand Valley State University
Current Proposals for Changing Voter Districts in Michigan, November 2018 Ballot (.pdf)