I favor countywide elections

Occasionally an argument can be made that something from the past might be worth reconsidering. I speak of the once-accepted process of voting for county commissioners in countywide elections.

We currently vote in districts. Supporters of this system assert that it is the only fair way for various ethnic groups within our community to have a shot at being represented. It would be a persuasive point if it manifested itself as intended. But the system appears to be broken. The fragmented districts produce not valid community representation, but rather cheerleaders for various special interests.

Consistent low voter turnout makes district manipulation easy and bad public policy the norm. Bringing back the good old days is not a panacea for solving all the county ills, but it is a reasonable start.

This story was originally published February 5, 2015 at 6:17 PM with the headline "I favor countywide elections."