What do we do when we vote for politicians who disappoints us once in office? Maybe they campaigned on a particular topic, and once elected voted opposite of the stance taken on the campaign trail.
What if that voting trend continues to the point that it becomes so obvious that the officeholder does not the match the person they claimed to be?
What if politicians become so arrogant and power hungry they overstep the duties and responsibilities of the office? What do we do about it?
Unfortunately, there are no provisions in state law for recall elections. Ballotpedia reports that of 552 municipalities in North Carolina, only 20 municipal governments allow for recall elections. It’s obvious those who make our laws on the federal, state and local levels are not concerned about having recall provisions. That lack thereof makes it impossible to take immediate action against elected officials who disappoint us.
Lengthy terms of office also make changing elected officials nearly impossible. A U.S. senator has a six-year term even if a third of the body is elected every two years. The House of Representatives term is more manageable in that those in office face the voters every two years.
On the state level, the term of office for House and Senate members is two years. The shorter term means that those officials are more amenable to the public than those with longer terms, or at least that is my take.
The governor and lieutenant governor are elected to four-year terms as are other members of the cabinet, such as commissioner of insurance, secretary of state, attorney general, agriculture commissioner, etc.
Terms of office in municipal government vary. Ayden’s board members once faced election every two years, all at one time. Now they have four-year staggered terms. Although all voters cast ballots in the election, there is a ward system that spreads out representation geographically in a non-partisan election.
Grifton has a four-year staggered system known as a nonpartisan plurality. If there are three openings for commissioner, anyone can file for the posts and the top three vote-getters are the victors. There is no district system. Farmville has a similar system.
In Greene County, commissioners have four-year at-large terms but the terms are staggered in the even years, meaning there is a certain number elected every two years. In Snow Hill, the mayor and five commissioners are elected for four-year at-large terms.
As you can see, it takes patience and time to replace an elected official who doesn’t measure up to campaign rhetoric, especially due to the longer terms of office. Thus, the answer lies in making certain you, as a voter, have a long memory — at least a memory that lasts upward of six years. It may take that long to cast a ballot to try and get rid of that disappointing politician.
Or maybe you or a group of individuals can start an effort to have laws passed at all levels of government for recall elections. Understand, of course, that the elected official will not be amused at plans that are aimed at replacing them. In fact, my guess is they will do their best to ignore it unless there is some strong grassroot effort made across the state.
Another way to make those we elect accountable is to form a public information group of volunteer citizens who research and keep track of all the elected officials in their area, including the votes and actions they take. The group should be willing to make public record requests and essentially in these times of news deserts be willing to spread the facts about those we elect. An emailed newsletter could be an excellent tool in getting information out to others.
It isn’t fair for politicians to say one thing to get elected, then do the exact opposite when in office. The voters must hold them accountable.
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