183:
Opponents funded by the
Michigan Chamber of Commerce sued twice to have the measure kept off the ballot, arguing that it was too expansive to be considered an amendment to the state constitution and that a state constitutional convention was required. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in favor of
179:
The ballot initiative, known as the
Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative, or simply Proposal 2, was approved by the Board of State Canvassers in August 2017. VNP then had 180 days to collect the over 315,000 signatures required to get the proposal on the November 2018 ballot. With no
207:
and, as
Election Day drew near, took in millions of dollars in donations. On November 6, 2018, Michigan voters approved Proposal 2 by 61% to 39%. At the election night party in Detroit, Fahey said, "The thing we proved tonight is that we are our own saviors. We the people can save ourselves."
160:, public library. In all, VNP held 33 such meetings in as many days, asking people across the state how they thought a fair redistricting system should work. Volunteers also studied other states' systems and sought advice from
576:
176:. The proposal barred anyone from serving on the commission who had held a politically-affiliated position within the past six years, including elected officials, candidates, lobbyists, and political consultants.
184:
VNP in June 2018, and in July, the
Michigan Supreme Court ruled 4-3 in VNP's favor. By that time, VNP volunteers had already knocked on tens of thousands of doors, talking to voters about Proposal 2. They often
180:
physical home office and almost no funds, Fahey organized an estimated 4,000 volunteers who collected over 425,000 signatures from all 83 Michigan counties, and turned them in two months before the deadline.
149:: "I'd like to take on gerrymandering in Michigan. If you're interested in doing this as well, please let me know." Dozens of people responded and formed a citizens group called Voters Not Politicians (VNP).
145:
during the 2016 election season. Gerrymandering was an issue she believed most people could agree on regardless of their political party. Shortly after the
November election, she posted a message on
113:
allowed it, and on
November 6, 2018, the state electorate approved Proposal 2 by 61%. Fahey now serves as Executive Director of The People, a national nonpartisan reform organization.
519:
443:
371:
561:
520:"Following the 2016 election, Katie Fahey - then 26 years old - decided she wanted to bring people together to solve one of our democracy's most pressing issues"
331:
616:
105:. The campaign garnered national attention and brought in millions of dollars in donations. Opponents sued to keep the measure off the ballot, but the
232:
In March 2019, Fahey left VNP to serve as executive director of The People, a national nonprofit that supports nonpartisan democratic reforms such as
626:
533:
636:
463:
192:. For example, a local business owner who contacted the group through Facebook mass-produced thousands of inexpensive clipboards for the
590:
164:
experts. They wrote a proposal for a ballot initiative which would create a 13-member redistricting commission consisting of four
97:. As the founder of Voters Not Politicians, she organized thousands of volunteers who collected over 425,000 voter signatures for
621:
172:, and five voters with no party affiliation, all to be selected through a random drawing of registered voters, supervised by the
169:
165:
121:
Fahey earned degrees in
Sustainable Business and Community Leadership from Aquinas College in 2011. After college she worked for
352:
524:
307:
173:
129:
program for the grocery chain. She then went to work for the
Michigan Recycling Coalition as a program coordinator.
52:
106:
102:
98:
419:
611:
142:
110:
485:
395:
237:
221:
204:
631:
283:
581:
157:
551:
448:
424:
312:
501:
444:"Gerrymandering doc featuring Voters Not Politicians founder debuting at Tribeca Film Festival"
546:
217:
153:
138:
400:
376:
336:
212:
415:
303:
233:
126:
90:
605:
577:"Supreme Court again considers partisan gerrymandering, but voters are not waiting"
566:
257:
200:
185:
161:
547:"Founder of Voters Not Politicians shares tips learned from grassroots organizing"
199:
The campaign garnered attention from political figures such as former
President
122:
101:, a ballot initiative amending the state constitution to create an independent
193:
189:
86:
591:"Michigan Proposal 2, Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative (2018)"
278:
534:"One woman's Facebook post leads to Michigan vote against gerrymandering"
146:
94:
464:"Katie Fahey of Voters Not Politicians to take Michigan model national"
420:"Making a Difference in 2018: Katie Fahey Restores Power to the People"
510:
152:
On March 4, 2017, around 70 people attended the group's first
332:"Mich. Supreme Court: Redistricting plan goes on Nov. ballot"
353:"How political redistricting was put in the people's hands"
372:"Court: Anti-gerrymandering issue fit for Michigan ballot"
396:"Voters Not Politicians declares victory for Proposal 2"
71:
279:"Katie Fahey, 28: President, Voters Not Politicians"
66:
58:
48:
40:
28:
21:
141:, became concerned about the country's increasing
216:, a documentary about Fahey and VNP produced by
85:is an American activist who led the successful
325:
323:
308:"Putting the Voters in Charge of Fair Voting"
8:
298:
296:
294:
18:
562:"A Grassroots Call to Ban Gerrymandering"
437:
435:
273:
271:
389:
387:
249:
560:Trickey, Erick (September 23, 2018).
7:
394:Gibbons, Lauren (November 7, 2018).
442:Robertson, Derek (March 29, 2019).
351:Mordowanec, Nick (March 19, 2019).
330:Oosting, Jonathan (July 31, 2018).
370:Oosting, Jonathan (June 7, 2018).
188:on social media to solve problems
14:
617:Aquinas College (Michigan) alumni
575:Barnes, Robert (March 24, 2019).
545:McMurty, Alyssa (April 9, 2019).
224:in New York on April 27, 2019.
203:and former California governor
1:
16:American activist (born 1989)
627:American political activists
637:21st-century American women
488:Two Broads Talking Politics
174:Michigan Secretary of State
653:
502:"Katie Fahey Interview on
486:"Katie Fahey Interview on
117:Education and early career
53:Aquinas College (Michigan)
525:Amy Poehler's Smart Girls
107:Michigan Court of Appeals
89:campaign to ban partisan
284:Crain's Detroit Business
125:, creating a successful
103:redistricting commission
622:Activists from Michigan
262:Voters Not Politicians
143:political polarization
133:Voters Not Politicians
111:Michigan Supreme Court
514:. September 25, 2018.
418:(December 11, 2018).
222:Tribeca Film Festival
205:Arnold Schwarzenegger
306:(January 23, 2018).
238:ranked-choice voting
582:The Washington Post
540:. November 7, 2018.
528:. October 29, 2018.
496:. January 18, 2018.
220:, premiered at the
158:Marquette, Michigan
552:The Michigan Daily
425:The New York Times
357:C&G Newspapers
313:The New York Times
62:Political activist
470:. March 31, 2019.
228:National activism
218:Participant Media
154:town hall meeting
139:independent voter
80:
79:
35:Livonia, Michigan
644:
598:
586:
571:
556:
541:
529:
515:
497:
472:
471:
460:
454:
453:
449:Michigan Advance
439:
430:
429:
412:
406:
405:
391:
382:
381:
377:The Detroit News
367:
361:
360:
348:
342:
341:
337:The Detroit News
327:
318:
317:
300:
289:
288:
275:
266:
265:
254:
76:
73:
19:
652:
651:
647:
646:
645:
643:
642:
641:
602:
601:
589:
574:
559:
544:
538:Bridge Michigan
532:
518:
500:
494:radiopublic.com
484:
481:
479:Further reading
476:
475:
468:Bridge Michigan
462:
461:
457:
441:
440:
433:
416:Rosenberg, Tina
414:
413:
409:
393:
392:
385:
369:
368:
364:
350:
349:
345:
329:
328:
321:
304:Rosenberg, Tina
302:
301:
292:
287:. 30 June 2018.
277:
276:
269:
256:
255:
251:
246:
230:
213:Slay the Dragon
135:
119:
70:
49:Alma mater
36:
33:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
650:
648:
640:
639:
634:
629:
624:
619:
614:
604:
603:
600:
599:
587:
572:
557:
542:
530:
516:
498:
480:
477:
474:
473:
455:
431:
407:
383:
362:
343:
319:
290:
267:
248:
247:
245:
242:
234:open primaries
229:
226:
134:
131:
127:sustainability
118:
115:
91:gerrymandering
78:
77:
68:
64:
63:
60:
56:
55:
50:
46:
45:
42:
38:
37:
34:
30:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
649:
638:
635:
633:
630:
628:
625:
623:
620:
618:
615:
613:
612:Living people
610:
609:
607:
596:
592:
588:
584:
583:
578:
573:
569:
568:
563:
558:
554:
553:
548:
543:
539:
535:
531:
527:
526:
521:
517:
513:
512:
507:
505:
504:The Follow Up
499:
495:
491:
489:
483:
482:
478:
469:
465:
459:
456:
451:
450:
445:
438:
436:
432:
427:
426:
421:
417:
411:
408:
403:
402:
397:
390:
388:
384:
379:
378:
373:
366:
363:
358:
354:
347:
344:
339:
338:
333:
326:
324:
320:
315:
314:
309:
305:
299:
297:
295:
291:
286:
285:
280:
274:
272:
268:
263:
259:
258:"Katie Fahey"
253:
250:
243:
241:
239:
235:
227:
225:
223:
219:
215:
214:
209:
206:
202:
197:
195:
191:
187:
181:
177:
175:
171:
167:
163:
159:
155:
150:
148:
144:
140:
132:
130:
128:
124:
116:
114:
112:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
84:
75:
69:
65:
61:
57:
54:
51:
47:
43:
39:
31:
27:
20:
594:
580:
567:The Atlantic
565:
550:
537:
523:
509:
503:
493:
487:
467:
458:
447:
423:
410:
399:
375:
365:
356:
346:
335:
311:
282:
261:
252:
231:
211:
210:
201:Barack Obama
198:
186:crowdsourced
182:
178:
162:election law
151:
136:
120:
82:
81:
32:June 4, 1989
632:1989 births
595:Ballotpedia
166:Republicans
123:SpartanNash
83:Katie Fahey
41:Nationality
23:Katie Fahey
606:Categories
244:References
194:canvassers
190:on the fly
137:Fahey, an
99:Proposal 2
87:grassroots
59:Occupation
170:Democrats
72:thepeople
196:to use.
147:Facebook
109:and the
95:Michigan
44:American
168:, four
156:in the
67:Website
401:MLive
236:and
74:.org
29:Born
511:PBS
93:in
608::
593:.
579:.
564:.
549:.
536:.
522:.
508:.
492:.
466:.
446:.
434:^
422:.
398:.
386:^
374:.
355:.
334:.
322:^
310:.
293:^
281:.
270:^
260:.
240:.
597:.
585:.
570:.
555:.
506:"
490:"
452:.
428:.
404:.
380:.
359:.
340:.
316:.
264:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.