Conversations on Nonpartisan Elections

• See Free Citizan for A Brief History of Nonpartisan Elections by Steve Rankin, and also, U.S. District Court Rules Mississippi Democratic Party May Close its Primary to Members at Y'all Politics
• In Ravenna, Ohio, a charter proposal to hold nonpartisan elections was approved by the City Council 6-1 and now will go to ballot.
• In Ashville, N.C., which has held nonpartisan elections since 1994, but in June, by a 4-3 vote, council switched to partisan elections. A group of citizens Let Asheville Vote, collected 5,000 signatures from registered voters in Asheville to get the question on the ballot.
• In South Kingstown, R.I., which has nonpartisan elections, a top proposal from the public is doing away with the master lever option, which allows voters to cast a straight party vote. Only 20% of the voters in the 2006 general election cast a straight-party vote.