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storm2k t1_j4vxwls wrote

Reply to comment by rockmasterflex in If Governor Murphy is serious about equity in this state, he should push for improving public libraries. by Flashinglights0101

local government being nonpartisan does nothing to help it. you'll still get partisan people running for it and they'll run things as if they were partisan. the only thing it achieves is that they don't have an r or d hanging on the back of their names on the ballot.

nimbyism is a huge hindrance to everything, and yes, it's almost always the wealthier fractions in the big houses that want to vote against anything that would be long term beneficial for the whole of the town. it also boggles me that people really don't understand that you should never leave your car doors unlocked and just leave your wallet and stacks of cash in your unlocked car. like, sheer amazement that this is such a thing in wealthier suburbs.

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rockmasterflex t1_j4wz5ut wrote

the votes being nonpartisan HUGELY change the way it works.

Instead of being on the ballot as D or R and being in that column, its a random-ish order, with the incumbents called out.

This is beneficial because almost nobody votes in those elections, and of the people who DO, 90% of them have no idea what theyre doing, they just vote down D?R column, which is objectively bad for small scale govt.

Take the ability to do that away, and they have 3 choices:

  • vote for incumbents

  • vote for challengers

  • actually prepare for the election and figure out what you want to do (or remember a few interactions with your town govt and vote the people you hate out)

all 3 of those are smarter voting patterns than "the guy was on the right team"

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storm2k t1_j4x7sf2 wrote

and 99.9% of people will continue to vote for the incumbents because "eh, they're doing a good enough job". for the smattering of people who vote in municipal elections as it is. jersey really needs to force all of them to be on even years to coincide with national elections, but that will never happen because all parties are happy with the lower turnout keeping incumbents entrenched for as long as they choose to stay basically.

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