1. Special elections – to replace representatives
Four (and counting) Montgomery County representatives in the state senate and house of delegates left their positions this year. Their replacements are selected by a tiny group of 2 dozen Democratic Central Committee (DCC) members. The DCC has appointed a whopping 12 of 34 (35%) of the current MoCo delegation to the Maryland statehouse.
The DCC has notoriously appointed their own members to state vacancies, followed by appointing replacements to the newly vacant DCC seats. This year applications were solicited and candidates were interviewed. The name-calling, infighting, and dysfunction of this popularity contest was on full display in districts 14 and 16.
It’s time to give people the vote to choose replacements for the vacant state and DCC positions.
Yes to special elections!
2. Board of Education student member – expand student voting
Currently only 400 student delegates out of over 87,000 middle and high school students select the 2 Student Member of the Board (SMOB) finalists from a field of over a dozen candidates. The other 87,000 plus students are only permitted to vote between the 2 finalists. It’s a de facto primary where 0.5% of students participate. Some students stated it well, “There’s no accountability in who the delegates select. They aren’t representing the interests of their student body.”
Historically the finalists (and delegates choosing them) are overwhelmingly from the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association (MCR), a chief of staff or assistant to the previous SMOB, and from Richard Montgomery, (7 of the last 9 elections) or a Downcounty Consortium school.
It’s time to hear from 100% of students instead of 1%.
Yes to opening the election of all candidates to all 87,000 secondary students!
3. Board of Education – reform election rules
Currently there are 2 at-large seats and 5 district based seats that require the candidates to be a district resident. In reality, all seats are de facto at-large seats. The entire county votes on the entire board. Takoma Park voters can decide who is best for Clarksburg. Bethesda voters can decide who is best for Burtonsville.
It’s time to abolish the 2 at-large seats and make real district-based seats limited to voters in that district. At-large seats are a legacy of racism. “Congress has banned At-Large voting for all federal elections. It’s been discarded by most states. No voting method has been subject to more litigation for its discriminatory impact on local elections. Yet, while the covers are off the discriminatory impact and intent of At-Large voting, it persists in hundreds of local jurisdictions.”
Yes to district candidates selected by district residents!
Let’s play the county’s equity game and ask who benefits and who is left behind by each action. The current system disproportionately places power with a few privileged 1 percenters– the DCC and student delegates. 99+% of students and MoCo voters are left behind.
Power to the people now!
