It's time to vote for all of us

by Ernest Scherzer
| May 27, 2010 12:19 PM

On the primary ballot is the issue of Sanders County changing to nonpartisan elections for all county offices. I urge support for this change for several reasons.

Provides More Choice for Voters

It expands the choices beyond the limited range presented to voters by a partisan format. It would allow two Republicans or two Democrats to run for the same office, but no party label would be attached to their names. You could have a moderate and a conservative running from the same party or a moderate and a liberal or several other combinations. It should bring about a more diversified field of candidates.

Very Common Nationwide

Nationwide, three-fourths of all municipalities incorporate have total nonpartisan elections or some form of it. Most commonly it is for judges, school boards, conservation districts and fire districts. It's used in very large cities and in small communities. It's more prevalent in small communities and counties than in large ones. Sanders is a small community.

Has Deep Historic Roots

Many historians frequently interpret Federalist No. 10 to imply that the founding fathers of the United States intended the government to be nonpartisan, especially James Madison.

Virtually No County Issues Are Partisan

Any present or former commissioner in Sanders County will tell you he/she cannot recall an issue which was decided on partisan politics in the last twenty years. Competitive political parties and their principles are necessary for healthy representative democracy on the national level and to a somewhat lesser degree on the state level.

That is not the case at the county level where the problems are too immediate, the issues too clear and all constituents too close to both of them

Partisan County Elections Have Some Unfairness

You can be on the general election ballot with less support than a candidate who is defeated in the primary.

A partisan primary election candidate can receive 500 votes and lose in his party's primary which removes her/him from the general election. But an Independent candidate doesn't even go on the primary ballot.

He/she automatically goes on the general election ballot and may receive even less votes in that election than the defeated primary candidate. That is not fair.

Some voters are disenfranchised with a partisan county election. If Party A has two candidates for office X and one for all other offices except office Z where they have no candidate and Party B has two for office Z, none for office X and one for each of the others, then no matter what party's ballot you vote in the primary, you don't get a chance to vote for that one office in the other party.

But that candidate will be the only candidate - therefore the winner - in the general election. You have been disenfranchised. That cannot happen in a nonpartisan election. If you want to remain a true Independent and not vote in either the Republican or Democrat primary you are disenfranchised. Every year, in one or more precincts, the judges face voters who want to vote in both party primaries and those voters get upset when they cannot do so.

Cost

Some contend that a nonpartisan election is less expensive than a partisan election. As for the actual cost of the government running the election process there is probably no difference in cost. As to whether the parties will spend less, that is unpredictable.

Personal and hidden reasons for running will decline

Appeals to limited loyalties will decline. Everyone gets to vote for all candidates in the primary so you cannot appeal to those limited loyalties which exist in partisan primaries.

Promise making will decline since candidates will need to address specific topics of concern of all voters if the electorate does its job and tries to determine the best candidate from the one master list. Candidates should be elected based upon their merit, not their political affiliation. We need to move beyond party labels in evaluating candidates for county offices.

Some have contended it will lessen party influence. I personally prefer to reduce the influence of political parties on the county level.

It will help eliminate the election of officials with "hidden agendas" who now couch them behind generalities and vague promises while relying on the party name to carry them to victory. Once in office their "hidden agenda" comes to the forefront.

Ernest Scherzer

Trout Creek