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January 30, 2010

Anonymous The Commercial-News Sat Jan 30, 2010, 12:04 PM CST

Vermilion County residents — at least some of them — will head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in a primary to select candidates for November’s general election.

While there are few local races that actually are contested — a judge’s position on the Republican side is the only countywide question — the state portion of the ballot brims with candidates.

Even though there are few local choices, it still is important for people to let their voices be heard through their ballots. Voting remains a privilege shared to too few other counties, and to ignore the opportunity is to ignore all the sacrifices previous generations made to ensure every citizen’s ability to cast a ballot.

However, changes could improve the situation.

Illinois lawmakers should consider two big steps — both supported, by the way, by state Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville.

The state’s primary should be later in the year. Not only would that make it closer to the general election — nine months away — but it would ease the burden of running for re-election so soon on officeholders who serve two-year terms.

The second step would be to declare an open primary, where voters can cross between the parties to vote in contested races. The move also would eliminate the need for primary voters to declare their party affiliation.

The changes would make primary elections mean more to the real bosses of the ballots — the voters — and less to the party bosses.

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