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Legislation Aims To Take Politics Out Of Elections

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE

cwade@tampatrib.com

Published: February 21, 2009

TAMPA - Election chiefs in Florida walk a fine line between politics and the oath of office.

On one hand, the state's supervisors of elections take a constitutional pledge to remain impartial when it comes to running local elections and overseeing voter registration.

On the other, like county commissioners, tax collectors and property appraisers, they run for the office under a partisan banner, and often depend upon support from major parties to help bankroll their campaigns and gain face and name recognition with the electorate.

It's a dichotomy that some state lawmakers want to eliminate.

Legislation filed by Sen. Charlie Justice, D-St. Petersburg, and working its way to the Senate for a vote would make county election supervisors nonpartisan jobs, prohibiting political parties or groups from endorsing or supporting candidates in their campaigns.

"We need to take the politics out of this office," he said. "Our highest elections officials should not be concerned with politics, but preserving the integrity of the voting process. This bill removes any obligation to a party and cements their obligation to the voters."

Justice cites the tenure of Hillsborough County's former Elections Supervisor Buddy Johnson, a Republican appointed by then-Gov. Jeb Bush, as an example of how the line between a supervisor's allegiance to his or her party and to the job can become blurred.

A former state legislator, Johnson was appointed to the office on party credentials and won the 2004 election with support from the Republican Party. He left behind a financial mess after losing his re-election bid in the Nov. 4 election.

"Common sense tells us those administering our elections should not have ties to any political party," he said. "There is no Democrat or Republican way to run an election."

The bill, which narrowly cleared a vote in the Senate Ethics and Election Committee last week, has the won the support of the state organization of supervisors of elections.

The proposal has its share of critics, however, including high-ranking Republican Sen. Mike Fasano, who argues that there's nothing wrong with the partisan nature of the job.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," said Fasano, of New Port Richey. "I'm a big believer that the electorate needs to know your philosophy and how you're going to manage the office."

Fasano called the legislation a partisan move by the state's Democratic lawmakers.

Not so, says Republican lawmaker Tom Anderson, who is sponsoring a companion bill in the state House of Representatives to make the position nonpartisan statewide.

"For me, it's a question of appearances," said Anderson, of Dunedin. "The person that counts the votes shouldn't have an allegiance to any political party or organization."

Bill Bunting, state committeeman for the Pasco County Republican Party, opposes the proposed legislation. He argues the system of requiring election supervisors to run on the basis of party affiliation lets voters understand a candidate's political traits.

"It holds them accountable and keeps them honest," Bunting said. "That's important."

Similar attempts to make the offices nonpartisan have failed over the years.

After the 2000 presidential election debacle, an elections task force convened by Bush recommended that the changes be included in a host of electoral reforms. However, the Republican-controlled Legislature took no action.

Proponents of the move say it would also restore some uniformity to the state's election system, which is made up of a hodgepodge of partisan and nonpartisan supervisors.

Currently, only five counties - Polk, Columbia, Volusia, Leon and Palm Beach - have nonpartisan election chiefs. Miami-Dade County appoints its election supervisors.

The majority of elections supervisors across Florida fall under the state constitution and changing the position to a nonpartisan one would require legislative approval.

Tampa Bay area elections supervisors - including Deborah Clark in Pinellas, Phyllis Busansky in Hillsborough and Brian Corley in Pasco - said they support the move.

"It just makes sense," Busansky said. "You shouldn't gear your office toward any political party or set of beliefs, except for an honest, open and neutral election."

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679

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