February 1, 2022 - The League of Women Voters of Michigan, along with a coalition of voting rights advocates, filed a lawsuit today against the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission on the grounds of partisan fairness.

The lawsuit was filed today in the Michigan Supreme Court and is specifically meant to ensure the Michigan State House map is fair from a partisan perspective.

“When Michigan voters overwhelmingly passed Proposal 2 in 2018 establishing the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, they spoke loud and clear in their support for partisan fairness,” said Christina Schlitt, co-president of the Michigan League. “Our new maps must be as fair as possible from a partisan perspective because the maps will impact our elections for the next decade.”

The Hickory Map includes a disproportionate partisan advantage for the Republican party, and the suit alleges the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission failed in its mission of ensuring a district map for the Michigan State House is free of partisan advantage. An expert report on the partisan fairness of the Hickory Map showed Republicans are likely to win most seats even if they win the fewest votes.

“Unfair, biased maps run counter to what Michigan voters have asked for throughout the redistricting process,” said Paula Bowman, co-president of the Michigan League. “The approved Hickory Map shows partisan bias and should be replaced with a fairer map.”

The other plaintiffs in the lawsuit are American Citizens for Justice, Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote – Michigan, Detroit Action, LGBT Detroit, North Flint Neighborhood Action Council, Rising Voices and several individual registered voters across Michigan.

The League of Women Voters of Michigan was heavily involved in the redistricting process, engaging in educational outreach and helping ensure every Michigan voter had a voice. Last spring, local Leagues hosted over 30 town halls to educate voters about the MICRC, and in the fall the Michigan League hosted eight regional town halls to discuss the proposed maps. The League also offered training to Communities of Interest.

View a PDF of the filing.