The South Dakota Secretary of State's office sits with hundreds of thousands of signatures to put initiated measures or Constitutional amendments before the voters next year. The office now has the task of validating the signatures to see whether each issue will actually make it on the ballot.
One of the petitions is a Constitutional amendment to establish nonpartisan elections in South Dakota on the ballot in 2016. The amendment seeks to stop candidates from running under the title of Democrat or Republican.
Rick Weiland, the Chair of South Dakotan’s for a Nonpartisan Democracy, says the amendment will lead to better public policy.
Brian Gosch, the Republican Majority Leader in South Dakota, says it’s easier for voters to make decisions when they know a candidates party affiliation.
If the signatures are verified by the Secretary of State, the Constitutional amendment for nonpartisan elections will appear on the November, 2016 General Election ballot.
Listen to Rick on South Dakota Public Radio.
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1 comment:
Minnesota had non-partisan elections for the state legislature between 1914 and 1972. But the legislature continued to be organized on partisan lines, with "conservative" and "liberal" caucuses. Finally the public said if the legislature is going to continue to be run by the majority caucus, please bring party labels back so we can know which candidates are in which caucus.
Virginia in the past had partisan elections but party labels were omitted from the ballot (except for President). That policy was also unpopular and the public pressed the legislature to put party labels on the ballot. That was finally done in 2000, for federal and state office. But Virginia still doesn't have labels on the ballot for partisan county office.
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