Proposal 2: What is gerrymandering?

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Voters have to decide on Proposal Two on Michigan gerrymandering. 

"I would not want them to change districts per elections to benefit themselves, no," said one woman. 

She's got it.  But what is it and where does it come from?

Gerrymandering is named after Eldridge Gerry.  He was the fifth Vice President of the United States under President James Madison. 
Before that he was governor of Massachusetts. 

In the early 1800's he put the Gerry in gerrymandering by changing voting districts to lean an election a certain direction for political gain. Fast forward to today, it's still an issue. 

"We do not have competitive races," said Tim Skubick. "We have all the Democrats from one area and all the Republicans in the other and we have no competitive legislative races so the party that draws the lines ends up controlling the process."

Proposal Two looks to change that.  Right now in Michigan the district lines are drawn up by the party in control.
 
The proposal would change this by putting a commission together of four Democrats, four Republicans and five independents randomly selected by the Secretary of State to determine the district lines. 

"The Democrats will point out they get more than 50 percent of the vote in all races if you combine them," Skubick said. "However when you look at who wins the seats, the Republicans get more seats. Now when the Democrats were in control it was exactly the opposite." 

The push against Proposal Two says it would complicate matters by adding more than 3,200 words to the state constitution. It's complicated, but some have an appetite for change.  

"It shouldn't be in the hands of politicians," said one man. "People are going to vote the way they want to vote. Gerrymandering is like fixing a vote.