If you don't regularly read Joe Monahan's blog, I highly recommend it. Joe has been reporting on New Mexico politics for decades, and has a well developed point of view. Recently, Joe has covered some electoral issues of importance to Voting Matters readers.
Yesterday, over at www.joemonahan.com, Joe commented on the unworkability and lack of importance of the bill to move the major party primaries to March, echoing some of what was posted at Voting Matters February 16.
And last week, Monday, February 23, Joe published my proposed solution to the very low turnout school board elections, reprinted below:
MAIL IT IN
Rick Lass writes of reader Jim McClure's suggestion that we do away with low voter turnout school board elections and have the mayor appoint the board members:
I just don't think it is workable. Very few school board district boundaries would coincide with municipality boundaries, for one. Plus, I still like the idea of electing governing bodies. One idea would be to include school board members on general election ballots--when people are already going to the polls. Of course, naysayers will worry about "too long" ballots. There is a bill introduced this year to move them to the fall of odd-number years, but I don't see how that would help. My suggestion would be that school elections be conducted by mail. Naysayers will be concerned about fraud and ID, etc. But really, it is no different than the absentee ballot system allowed for all other elections, and works very well.
Good idea, Rick. Moving the school board elections to November and/or a mail-in ballot would seem the logical way to raise interest.
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