State Senator Jim Holperin (D-Eagle River) said today he has
co-sponsored legislation to eliminate the February primary and April
general elections.

“People want government to be more efficient,” Holperin said. “Here’s
an opportunity to save property taxpayer dollars without reducing any
service that local governments provide.”

The spring election is held for all nonpartisan elective offices,
including state level positions like Supreme Court and Superintendent
of Public Instruction, county level posts like Circuit Court Judge and
County Supervisor, city jobs like Mayor and Council Member, town slots
like Chairman and Supervisor, and various other nonpartisan offices
like school board.

“One main problem with spring elections is that not many people go to
vote,” Holperin stated. “You
may get a high local turnout if there’s a hotly contested race for
town supervisor or school board, but on average less than 20% of
eligible voters go to the polls in April. The turnout is even worse
for February primaries.”

Yet, said Holperin, election notices and sample ballots need to be
paid for, poll workers always need to be trained and compensated, and
the polls always have to be open and fully staffed no matter how few
voters show up. “Think of the savings if none of this were necessary,”
he added.

Elections for nonpartisan offices would still need to be held, of
course, and Holperin said holding them at the regularly scheduled
November elections would make the most sense.

“I can’t think of too many drawbacks to this alternative, but there
might be some,” Holperin conceded.

“For example, municipal budgets are typically crafted in the fall, so
there might be some opposition to having city and town officials on
the ballot in the middle of budget time.”

Otherwise, he said, it’s pure cost savings without losing any local
services.

“I’m interested in learning voters’ opinions on this plan,” Holperin
said. “The change requires
amending the state constitution, so people would get a chance to vote
on the proposal at some point, but legislative approval is the first
step.”

“Think it over. Let me know. I’m especially interested in hearing of
any really compelling reasons why we shouldn’t save local governments
considerable taxpayer dollars by eliminating the spring elections,” he
concluded.

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