The Michigan Secretary of State is preparing for a big change in the way congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Jocelyn Benson tells WPHM 250,000 invitations to participate in the new citizens redistricting commission have been sent to registered voters in the state. “The constitution requires that we proactively invite individual citizens to apply to serve on the commission,” said Secretary of State Benson, speaking to our Paul Miller. “Now it’s just about what the citizens want the districts to look like, which I think is going to be a much better and more fair process,” said Benson. She adds that voters don’t need an invite to apply for the commission. Any registered voter who hasn’t run for a political office in the past 6 years can serve as a commissioner. Applications are available online at michigan.gov/sos or at your local Secretary of State Branch Office. Thirteen randomly-selected applicants will then be chosen to help shape the state’s legislative districts starting in 2022.
