by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Don’t etch next year’s local election dates in stone just yet, they may change.
City Council member Lynette Self plans to propose an ordinance at the March 26 Council meeting that would move the dates of next year’s elections either one week earlier or one week later. As it stands now, the primary election for City Council, mayor, School Board and other local offices is set for April 15. That day was established by City ordinance, which calls for the elections to be held on the “fifteenth Tuesday of the year.”
It’s also tax day and that’s what concerns Self, who would like to see local voters concentrate on getting to the polls rather than waiting in line at post offices.
Self said she realizes that voting and taxes can be tied together, but believes both issues are important enough to warrant separating them.
“In a way, I can see that the two acts, voting and paying taxes, are inextricably linked — you know, the old taxation without representation idea,” said Self. “On the other hand, with so much emphasis being placed on making sure that our taxes are paid on time, I’m afraid that many voters will focus on taxes and not on voting.”
Over the next week, Self plans to seek input from her fellow Council members — through noticed meetings — and residents about the issue. If she gets a strong impression that moving the dates is not a popular idea, she may drop it. If the response is positive, Self will pursue the matter through the appropriate legal channels.
One entity that has no problem with the potential move is the Supervisor of Elections Office.
“It would be pretty simple,” said Frankie Knight of the elections office. “They [Council] would just enact it over there and send the new date to us. We will work with the date they give us.”
Although the elections office employs many extra workers and dozens of volunteers for election day, Knight said the 2003 elections are far enough off that no one has been asked to mark their calendars yet.
“As far as I know, nothing has gone out to the workers,” said Knight.
Self has asked the General Counsel’s Office to prepare the ordinance, which would have to go through an introduction process and two readings in front of full Council before becoming law. Because the issue isn’t covered under the City’s Charter, moving the election day is a fairly simple process. The only major decision for Self, and whomever writes the new ordinance, will be to pick a new date. Self said she has considered both a week earlier, April 8, and a week later, April 22.
“There are a lot of ways to look at it,” she said. “People will still be working on their taxes a week earlier, so if we hold the election a week later, taxes will be off the calendar and people can get out and vote.”
Self’s ordinance will also include language covering the general election, which is slated for May 13.
“Actually what I’m looking at is changing the primary election as well as the general election date to keep the same amount of time between the elections,” said Self, indicating that May 20 would be her date of choice.
Sensing that this could be a dilemma in years to come, Self said she will also ask that the new legislation to address any future instances in which election day and tax day may coincide. She has also broached the issue with Supervisor of Elections John Stafford, who indicated he was comfortable with and supported the move.
“I spoke to John on that and he was really glad we were looking into it at an early date,” said Self. “He is thinking the same way as me, we both want a good voter turnout.”