W. MI teacher offering gerrymandering courses

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Michigan voters have a lot to consider this November.

Many statewide and local offices are up for grabs, and voters will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana. One initiative isn’t getting as much attention, but it could change the way congressional and state officials are elected.

Everyone lives in a particular legislative and Congressional boundary. But did you ever stop and think about how those lines were drawn? As it turns out, many people do. 

“Well, gerrymandering actually goes back to 1812, the word does,” Robert Weir, a freelance writer and teacher. “James Madison, James Monroe, Patrick Henry, they were also involved in gerrymandering before the term was coined.”

So, what exactly is gerrymandering and why does it matter? Voting districts are redrawn every 10 years after the U.S. census. In Michigan, the party in control of the legislature gets to draw those lines.

Full story: WOOD TV


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