Join the Fight for Fair Representation
On October 26 from 1pm until 8pm at the Dort Financial Center, the Michigan Independent Citizen Redistricting Commission (MICRC) will host a Public Hearing in Flint. Flint residents need to show up and have their voices heard to ensure that we have the fair representation that we deserve.
At the last Commission public hearing in Flint there was low turnout compared to other communities. We cannot allow that to happen again or we will regret it for the next ten years. The decisions made by the MICRC will determine how Flint and other communities are represented.
Every 10 years, after the U.S. Census Bureau’s population count, new boundaries are drawn in Michigan to determine its Congressional, Senate and House voting districts. These districts decide which areas and which groups of voters are represented by elected officials. Historically, politicians have drawn the voting boundaries, often accused of using gerrymandered maps to gain unfair political advantage. Gerrymandering is manipulating electoral borders to skew voting outcomes for one political party over another. Voters decided in 2018 to take their power back and help the MICRC redraw voting lines that better represent their interests and their communities.
If the maps that are before the Commission are approved without Flint residents telling them how we feel, the impacts are substantial. Here are some of the possible implications:
• Voters Rights Act districts must allow Black voters to elect a representative of their choice. Right now, the Michigan Independent Redistricting Commission has cracked ALL of those communities (including Flint), weakening their voice.
• The districts drawn for Flint are all the same and the Commission hasn’t given Flint communities of interest due consideration.
• Flint, Detroit and other communities of color across the state have suffered under the last 20 years, because our representatives have NEVER been in the majority.
• The proposed Commission House Districts split the city in a way that could result in 0 Representatives from Flint due to suburbs having higher primary turnout.
• Flint has been negatively impacted by past decisions of state government, resulting in emergency managers and the Flint water crisis. We need more representation, not less to ensure that Flint can fully recover and thrive.
The power is in our hands and we need to speak up! Redistricting can seem very complicated, but we are willing to give you a crash course and help you prepare for public comment with the Commission. Please contact us at 810-422-5358 or by email at lross@communitiesfirstinc.org.
Redistricting Commission Public Hearing - Key Details
When: Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Time: 1:00pm-3:30pm and 5:00pm-8pm, the Commission will break from 3:30pm until 5:00pm
Doors Open: 12:00pm
Where: Dort Financial Event Center - 3501 Lapeer Rd. Flint
Virtual Testimony Sign-Up Link: Click here for Virtual Testimony Sign Up
Time Limit: 90 seconds not including time bringing up reference map (if requested).
Process: First come, first serve basis and in-person testimony will go first followed by virtual testimony.
Public Comment: Please comment at the hearing AND in the public comment portal. While waiting for your turn to speak during the public hearing, write your public comment into the public comment portal station (if in person or if virtual by commenting on the MyDistricting public comment tool). Here's the link to the online public comment portal: MICRC Public Comment Portal
