CASSOPOLIS — Volunteers with the statewide effort to change the way Michigan creates its voting districts will host an informational session for local residents early next month.

Members with Voters Not Politicians are organizing an event at the Cass District Library Branch in Cassopolis, which will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9. The event will feature a pair of presentations — one by former U.S. Congressman Joe Schwarz, and another by Voters Not Politicians member Robert Weir — followed by a question and answer session.

During the event, attendees will learn more about the history of gerrymandering — a term that refers to when lawmakers intentionally redraw voting districts in order to give themselves or their political allies an advantage during elections. In addition, they will learn more about the Michigan organization’s proposed ballot initiative for the November 2018 general election, which they claim will eliminate gerrymandering in Michigan.

Voters Not Politicians, an organization comprised of volunteers from throughout Michigan, is currently collecting signatures for a petition to get its proposed measure on next year’s election. The state requires them to have to 316,000 names, which they are around two-thirds of the way from accomplishing, said Voters Not Politicians volunteer Linda Pell.

“Representatives will be there [at the library] to collect signatures, and look for additional volunteers as well,” Pell said. “Our work is not done yet, so we’re still looking for volunteers.”

The organization’s measure will call for an amendment to the Michigan Constitution, which would create an independent, nonpartisan commission consisting of 13 people — four Democrats, four Republicans and five independents — who will be selected at random from a pool of 200 possible candidates, comprised of people who mirror the demographics of the state.

This body would be in charge of creating new voting districts following the competition of the national census every decade. Currently, state lawmakers are in charge of this responsibility, which Voters Not Politicians claims allows the party in power to remap state districts to give them an advantage in upcoming elections.

To keep the public more involved in the redistricting process, Voters Not Politicians’ proposed board would host 10 open hearings prior to proposing new maps, as well as five additional session after the maps have been drafted. State residents would also have access to all the maps and data the commission uses for its work.

Next week’s presentation is free and open to the public.

“If you are a voter and you want fair elections, you should come out and learn more, so you can decide how you want to vote,” Pell said.

For more information about the organization, people may visit votersnotpoliticians.com.