The Michigan Constitution outlines a specific process for the random selection of the final 13 commissioners. The Secretary of State must randomly select commissioners from the pool of eligible applicants. There are a three primary steps in that process.
Watch recordings of each random selection
Learn more about the random selection process PDF
In July 2020 the minority and majority leaders in the Michigan Senate and the Speaker of the House and minority leader in the Michigan House removed 20 applicants from the semifinalist pool.
In August 2020, from the remaining pool received from the Legislature, the Secretary of State's Office randomly selected thirteen Commissioners; four who affiliate with the Republican Party, four who affiliate with the Democratic Party and five who do not affiliate with either major political party.
The Michigan Constitution outlines a specific process for the random selection of the final 13 commissioners. The Secretary of State must randomly select commissioners from the pool of eligible applicants. This process was completed between June and August 2020. There are a three primary steps in that process.
Step 1: Following the closure of the application period, the Secretary of State's Office must randomly select 200 semifinalist applicants and provide those applications to the Michigan Legislature for review. Of the 200 randomly selected applicants, 60 people must affiliate with the Republican Party, 60 people must affiliate with the Democratic Party and 80 must not affiliate with either of those political parties. The Secretary of State's Office was required to use statistical weighting methods to ensure the pool of 200 semifinalists mirrors the geographic and demographic makeup of the state, as specified by the state constitution.
Step 2: In July 2020 the minority and majority leaders in the Michigan Senate and the Speaker of the House and minority leader in the Michigan House removed 20 applicants from the semifinalist pool, as permitted by the State constitution. You can review those strikes here.
Step 3: In August 2020, from the remaining pool received from the Legislature, the Secretary of State's Office randomly selected four people who affiliate with the Republican Party, four people who affiliate with the Democratic Party and five people who do not affiliate with either major political party to serve on commission.
Q: Is the selection process truly random?
Yes. The Secretary of State plays a purely ministerial role in the random selection process. Applicants drawn in various stages of the selection process will are selected at random, and the random-ness of that selection will be verified by external, independent firms as well as public observers.
You can view the random selection of 200 semifinalists, which was livestreamed, and learn more about the random selection process.
Q: What did the Department of state use to define the demographic and geographic makeup of the state for the purposes of the random selection?
We utilized data from the 2018 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimate, which is available to the general public via the American Community Survey Data Profiles online search tool. Michigan demographic information can be viewed here, and detailed tables with data for race and ethnicity, age and sex, and geographic distribution are also available.
