LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of State has finished reviewing and processing the 9,367 completed and notarized applications submitted to serve on Michigan’s first Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, with more than 2,000 applications processed within the last two weeks.
On Wednesday an independent accounting firm will conduct the random drawing of the 200 semi-finalists for the commission.
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“We’re just over a month away now from making Michigan history in selecting and seating the first 13-member commission, and it’s an incredibly exciting time,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “The tremendous amount of work done by our team in processing these final applications has been matched only by the enthusiasm we’ve seen from the applicants themselves, and we’re looking forward to starting the next phase of the process on Wednesday.”
The final days of the application window ending June 1 saw a surge of applications that left the final applicant pool more diverse and representative of Michigan’s demographics than ever before, including applicants from all 83 of Michigan’s counties.
Wednesday’s random drawing will narrow the more than 9,000 applications down to 200 semi-finalists whose applications will be posted online.
The drawing will begin at 10 a.m., and may last over an hour, while a computer conducts random draws of 200 applicants each until one of those draws meets the criteria required by the state constitution.
The entire process will be viewable by livestream, and those interested in watching are encouraged to check MDOS social media accounts on Wednesday morning for the link to the livestream.
Due to social distancing requirements, limited in-person viewing will be available in Lansing, and interested parties are asked to email redistricting@michigan.gov for more information.
Following the selection, the applications will be delivered to the Legislature, where leaders in both chambers and parties have the month of July to each strike up to 5 applicants from the pool, per the Michigan Constitution.
The final selection for the 13 commissioners — 4 Republicans, 4 Democrats and 5 unaffiliated — will take place in August.
For a detailed breakdown of the final applicant pool, visit RedistrictingMichigan.org.