John,

One of our key focuses for 2023 is redistricting reforms -- and I’m not going to lie, I think reforms are underrated. For states with ballot initiatives, it’s one of the most impactful things that voters can do collectively to strengthen democracy.

Let me tell you a quick story about my home state, Michigan. Almost ten years ago, the Flint water crisis took the national stage. But it was the culmination of decades of gerrymandered state legislatures ignoring state infrastructure, often at the expense of Black communities.

This time really opened my eyes to the impact of local and state government and I think a lot of Michiganders felt the same way. These collective problems could have felt insurmountable, but instead sparked activism and civic engagement statewide -- not just on access to clean water. 

2017 was a boiling point. We were sick of the neglect and elected officials not taking responsibility. A group of Michigan activists called “Voters Not Politicians” proposed a ballot initiative to create an independent redistricting commission. In the 2018 midterm elections, it passed.

In 2021, the citizen commission approved the fairest maps we’ve seen in years -- generations even. And this year, we saw the highest midterm turnout in decades. Michiganders elected pro-democracy candidates up and down the ballot. They rejected election deniers. And they voted at historic levels to protect reproductive freedom and sent legislators who supported abortion-bans packing.

This is a HUGE shift in five years. The dominos fell really quickly since the start of the last midterm election cycle. It’s why I think redistricting reforms are flying under the radar -- there is so much potential for citizen-led change. But we need to put things into motion now, we cannot wait until 2030 to start this work and we need your support. Can you chip in a few bucks and help us keep up our work?

Lately, A.G. Holder has been talking a lot about choosing action over apathy. I think there’s a growing feeling that collective action from everyday people really can shift things -- Michigan is the perfect example.

But he also knows that the best way to support activism and grassroots organizing is to address the systemic and institutional barriers we face on the path to change.

Look out for updates from Marco, the AOTL Reform Director, on how to get involved in the new year. And if you’re able, consider chipping in a few dollars to our end-of-year fundraising goal. We could use your help!

Thanks team,
Brianna Shamsuddoha

All On The Line is the grassroots advocacy campaign supported by the National Redistricting Action Fund. Support our work to end gerrymandering.

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