Proposal 2 backers declared victory shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday, clearing the way for the creation of an independent commission to decide Michigan's political districts ahead of the next redistricting process.
With 41.1 percent of precincts reporting, Proposal 2 was ahead with 60.79 percent voting yes, and 39.21 percent voting no. The Associated Press has not yet called the election as of 11:01 p.m.
Volunteer movement helped carry redistricting proposal to the ballot
At Voters Not Politicians' main election night party in Detroit, founder Katie Fahey and other backers of the campaign thanked their volunteers and said what they accomplished sets an example for what ordinary people looking to impact their government can do.
"The thing we proved tonight is that we are our own saviors," Fahey said. "We the people can save ourselves."
Under the leadership of Fahey, Voters Not Politicians built a formidable statewide campaign that ultimately led to national attention from the likes of former President Barack Obama and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as millions of dollars in fundraising towards the end of the election cycle.
Proposal 2 will shift the responsibility of drawing Michigan's state and federal political districts every 10 years to a 13-member independent redistricting commission consisting of five independent members, four self-declared Democrats and four self-declared Republicans.
Up to this point, that process had been in the hands of the Michigan legislature, which Proposal 2 supporters equated to politicians picking their own district lines.
Elected officials, candidates, lobbyists and political consultants or staffers -- as well as family members of politicians or other insiders -- will be barred from participating within six years of their politically-affiliated position.
The commissioners will be selected randomly from a pool of registered voters who submitted applications to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State will be required to circulate commissioner applications to 10,000 registered Michigan voters at random from various regions of the state.
Supporters of Proposal 2 contend the plan will prevent political gerrymandering in Michigan by circumventing the process entirely, although critics argued the proposal would remove power from the voters by putting redistricting power in the hands of an unelected commission with no stated checks or balances.
They also argued Proposal 2's stipulation to provide funding for the commission's operations would lead to unchecked spending that would be footed by Michigan taxpayers.
Tuesday's vote came after a lengthy journey by Voters Not Politicians to get the plan on the ballot in the first place.
In 2017, Fahey and other early Voters Not Politicians backers began touring the state, getting feedback from Michigan residents at forums and town halls as they set their sights on crafting an amendment to Michigan's Constitution.
Despite a lack of paid petition gatherers and intense opposition that took the proposed initiative into a protracted court battle, Voters Not Politicians supporters managed to get enough signatures and the go-ahead from the State Supreme Court to get Proposal 2 on the ballot.
Independent redistricting plan will be on ballot, Supreme Court rules