Longer ballot means less power for voters

Gov. Rick Snyder signed bills today to require that local school board elections be held in the November general election of even-numbered years. This long sought change to the school election calendar will, advocates say, save cash-strapped local districts at least $8 million over a two-year election cycle.

Saving money for schools = good.

It also will, thanks to the tendencies of Michigan voters, improve turnout in board elections in communities that have clung to other dates in the Michigan election calendar (I'm looking at you, May election dates).

Increased voter turnout for local elections = good.

Still, as someone who thinks Snyder was right to sign the bills, I see a troubling consequence:

Even less accountability and public oversight of local school boards and other public offices.

Say what? How can elections with more voters decrease accountability? Well, I'll tell you.

As the ballot gets longer for a November general election, it is generally not the practice of a Michigan (or American) voter to devote more of their time to studying the candidates and issues in play prior to voting. And Michigan voters already have plenty to worry about in even-year Novembers.

We elect statewide leaders. We elect legislators. We elect judges, both local and statewide. We elect three university boards. We vote on millage proposals, millage renewals and Headlee overrides. We elect people to county register of deeds seats for crying out loud! And now, in every school district, we will elect school board members.

Each time the ballot lengthens, voters are either expected to study more and know more OR, frankly, guess. Even among the citizens who take their responsibility seriously enough to show up at the polls, there is a great deal of guessing going on. And if you don't know who you are voting for or against, how can any claim to accountability be made? Did we elect energetic reformers or tools of special interests? Did we elect someone capable or someone who had a familiar name?

This critique isn't meant to argue against Snyder's signature. We need more voters involved in school elections (as long as we are going to have them).

But we also need significant ballot reform in Michigan. Elections don't always equal accountability. There are many offices in this state that should be filled by political appointment or civil service rules, not Election Day guesswork. A shorter ballot will empower, not weaken, voters because it will give them a reasonable chance to keep up with which officials need to go and which ones should stay.