|
tion of Election Officials who should be,
and I believe are, the most qualified to
discuss the validity of frequent elections or
less frequent elections, sent us a letter
stating their position very clearly. This
organization which is made up of all the
election officials made this statement and I
quote: "The Association wishes to go on
record as opposed to annual elections." I
find similar opposition to elections three
years out of every four because of the in-
tolerable administrative burden this would
impose on Boards of Supervisors of Elec-
tions throughout the State and the addi-
tional financial burden on the taxpayers of
the counties involved.
We then went out of the State and we
went to Mr. Henry Bain and received from
him a consensus of the political scientists
who have thought longest and hardest
about american government and we are
all concerned about voters turn-out. Their
analysis is that the theoretically desirable
objective of separating elections is in prac-
tice by no means a step toward good gov-
ernment. Rather, it creates a lower voter
turn-out.
Then we went to our own Dr. Loevy,
Advisor to the Legislative Branch Commit-
tee, and Professor of Political Science at
Goucher. In his report he cites two main
items for increasing voter turn-out and as-
sisting elections, which are: One, reduce
number of officers and we have already
done that, and two, reduce frequency of
elections.
It is no accident or no mere whim that
we suggest this. But to be a little more
practical, we will go one step further. The
pressures that will be created by the new
home rule adoption by the other nineteen
counties that we have now instituted will
be tremendous. The Committee Recommen-
dation would add additional pressure of
another election, with the costs to the
counties of that election, with the pressures
on the county officials of that election and
the pressure on the residents of that county.
Having been active in some politics at
the local level, I can say the money re-
quired to run for office by an independent
today has spiraled to almost monumental
cost. If you make elections almost annual,
you will make it prohibitive for the inde-
pendent who wises to file and call on in-
dependent volunteer groups to assist him
to run: You will then be forcing the party
groups to go to the same residents and
citizens year after year asking for solici-
tations, asking for assistance. It will be
|
insurmountable. What will happen is the
average voter will not come.
I suggest to you that you think this
over very carefully. We have discussed
with many of the delegates the disadvan-
tages of more frequent elections and they
far outweight the few possibilities that
would occur if you allow the off year.
One final point. There is a possibility in
the new local government of staggered
terms and this is a possibility which we
wish to offer to the new government. If we
have an off-year election in 1971, you will
force elections annually, because staggered
terms would then have to be one, three and
five. You could not possibly institute it any
other way.
I suggest you leave total freedom by
leaving elections to even years.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Schloeder.
DELEGATE SCHLOEDER: At this
time, the Committee would like to yield
three minutes to Dr. Winslow.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Winslow.
DELEGATE WINSLOW: Mr. Chair-
man, point of personal privilege, if I may.
THE CHAIRMAN: State the privilege.
DELEGATE WINSLOW: There are in
the gallery above my head seventy-three
students from the Ridgely Junior High
School in Baltimore County together with
their teachers, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Webb,
Mr. Bennett and Miss Knachel. I hope the
Committee will join me in welcoming them
to this assembly. (Applause.)
THE CHAIRMAN: Delighted to have
them.
The Chair now recognizes you for three
minutes of debate, Delegate Winslow.
DELEGATE WINSLOW: Thank you,
Mr. Chairman.
I rise with some fear after the remarks
of the last speaker, who quoted an asso-
ciate of mine from Goucher College on her
side of the fence. I have great respect for
my colleague. I helped to bring him to
Goucher College, but I point out to the
assembly that he is still a young man. I
should like to speak particularly to the
third portion of this recommendation of
the Committee.
I do this in spite of the fact that if I
had been making this speech twenty years
ago, I would have been on the other side.
|
