The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District held an election a few weeks ago.\u00a0\u00a0 Though I don\u2019t live or vote in that district, the election reminded me of the inefficiency \u2013 dare I say lunacy? \u2013 of the way we hold special district, municipal and school elections in New Mexico.<\/p>\n
The turnout was predictably small.\u00a0 Turnouts for these single-purpose elections typically range from small to pathetic.<\/p>\n
A few days later, the point about special elections was illustrated in a very public way by the Governor of New Jersey.\u00a0 U. S. Senator Frank Lautenberg died. To fill his Senate seat, Gov. Chris Christie scheduled a special primary followed by a special election. \u00a0The special election for Senator will be held in mid-October, three weeks before a general election.\u00a0 The cost to New Jersey taxpayers is estimated at $24 million.\u00a0 The second election could have been combined with a that general election and saved the taxpayers half of that money.<\/p>\n
How much do New Mexico municipalities, school districts and special purpose districts collectively spend on all the little single-purpose elections they hold?<\/p>\n
Nobody knows, according to State Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Albuquerque). \u00a0\u00a0If anyone would know, he would. \u00a0He is the executive director of the statewide association of county clerks.\u00a0 He said we don\u2019t even have a comprehensive list of all the districts that exist, let alone information about their elections.<\/p>\n
It is logical to combine all nonpartisan school, municipal and special district elections into a single election day, so voters can go to one polling place on one day every couple of years to select all these officials and \u2013 let\u2019s not forget \u2013 vote on all local bond issues at the same time.<\/p>\n
New Mexico has finally taken the first step toward fixing this situation.\u00a0 The biggest stumbling block has been a provision of the state constitution (Article 7, Section 1) that school elections must be held separately from all other elections.<\/p>\n
According to legend, the original purpose of that provision was to allow women to vote in school elections; women\u2019s suffrage had not yet been adopted when New Mexico became a state, but school elections were an exception.<\/p>\n
A legislative resolution was passed this year to amend that restriction out of the constitution (HJR 02, sponsored by Rep Jim Smith, R-Sandia Park, and Ivey-Soto).\u00a0 This amendment replaces the old restriction with one that says school elections shall be held separately from partisan elections.\u00a0 The amendment will be on the general election ballot in November 2014.\u00a0 Some further statutory changes will then be needed, such as the law that requires school elections to be held on the first Tuesday in February.<\/p>\n
If the amendment passes (that\u2019s partly up to you) we can, as Ivey-Soto puts it, \u201chave a conversation\u201d about combining non-partisan elections in a sensible way.\u00a0 One logical choice is to designate a day as the statewide nonpartisan election day \u2013 probably in odd-numbered years, the years we don\u2019t have presidential or gubernatorial elections.<\/p>\n
A suggestion offered to me recently by a county clerk staffer was to put the election day in June, when the schools are closed.\u00a0 Elections held on school days are a disruption for the schools, they said.\u00a0\u00a0 Using the buildings in June would be much easier \u2013 a point worth discussing.<\/p>\n
Incumbent office-holders might not like this sort of change because, with many more voters showing up, they would be forced to work considerably harder to get re-elected. \u00a0Perhaps a few turf wars can be anticipated, as well as a generally bumpy transition.<\/p>\n
It may be time for new folks to consider stepping up to run for all those local nonpartisan boards, with election reform as an element of their platforms.<\/p>\n
Triple Spaced Again, \u00a9 New Mexico News Services 2013<\/p>\n
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The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District held an election a few weeks ago.\u00a0\u00a0 Though I don\u2019t live or vote in that district, the election reminded me of the inefficiency \u2013 dare I say lunacy? \u2013 of the way we hold … Continue reading