EDITOR:

Proposal 2 is designed to end gerrymandering in Michigan. Gerrymandering occurs every ten years after the US Census is taken and voting districts must be redrawn due to changes in population. The redrawing process is controlled by the party in power. Naturally they want to redraw the districts to their advantage.

With advanced computer programs to redraw the district lines the effect of gerrymandering has become severe. U.S. Congressional, Michigan Senate, and Michigan Representative races are affected by this process.

Voters from the opposing party are packed in to one district and then spread out in many more districts. Therefore, voting district maps can look like snakes weaving in and out of cities and counties and results in a lopsided advantage for the party in power. The politicians are choosing the voters and not the other way around.

In this system candidates only have to appeal to their base of support because the November election results have been predetermined. This results in candidates taking more extreme positions either to the far left or far right which continues to polarize the nation.

Proposal 2 is designed to end this partisan process by doing the following: Striping the power to redistrict from the legislature and governor and entrust it to a 13 member citizen’s commission that would be prohibited from producing maps that favor one party over another. Thus, effectively stopping gerrymandering in Michigan and making everyone’s vote count.

I strongly encourage everyone to vote yes on Proposal 2.

Bill Stephenson

Iron Mountain