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The various League of Women Voters chapters in the Upper Peninsula hosted attorney Mark Brewer last week to discuss county level redistricting. A special commission is formed consisting of the county treasurer, clerk, and prosecuting attorney, as well as the heads of the local Republican and Democratic Parties. Vice chairs will be elevated to the commission if any of the members are on a county’s respective board of commissioners.
The panel has 60 days from when it receives the complete census data to craft its map. After that, the public is able to submit their own. The process is supposed to be nonpartisan, but it offers several opportunities to affect the overall makeup of local government. Like at the state and federal level, maps are required to consist of districts that have roughly equal population. Plans that involve few map breaks are favored over those where the districts are more complicated, tailored shapes.
Brewer says the real power comes in determining how many districts there will be.
All decisions are in effect for a full ten years. The full presentation is below.
