GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Gerrymandering: a topic that hearkens back to yawn-inducing high school civics classes but has a real impact on democracy.
In Michigan, districts are drawn up every 10 years by whichever party is in power. That has led to the way districts are divided sometimes bearing little resemblance to the will of the voters.
A grassroots effort started by a recent Aquinas College graduate and Caledonia resident aims to change that.
“We literally started from a Facebook post,” said Katie Fahey, president and treasurer of “Voters – Not Politicians.”
Fahey said that post in November has grown to a movement of more than 7,000 volunteers, including herself. She works full-time in Lansing.
“Michiganders were sick of the status quo. In the primaries, we voted for Bernie Sanders, we voted for Donald Trump and both of them are kind of those anti-establishment characters,” Fahey said.
Michigan’s congressional districts maps have been cited as among the most partisan. The meandering Grand Rapids 76th State District is one of the prime examples.
Full story: WOOD TV