3-minute read
Party affiliation is one of the first things many people think about when it comes to voting. When we publish articles about local election candidates, commenters often ask about their political party.
But Lakeland’s city elections are nonpartisan. On ballots, our city candidates appear without party labels.
We wanted to know why, so we set out to explore the history behind nonpartisan races.
We went deep into the archives at the Lakeland History and Culture Center at the Lakeland Library to examine the city’s charters, including sections on rules for ballots and qualifications of candidates, with one question in mind: Have Lakeland’s city commission races have always been nonpartisan?
While the structure of Lakeland’s city government has changed over the years — a new charter in 1919 replaced the 1911 version and again in 1959 and 1976. The current governing document is an amended charter adopted on November 5, 2019. Throughout, we could find no evidence of local candidates appearing on ballots with a party affiliation.
What does it mean for a race to be nonpartisan?
A nonpartisan race is an election where all candidates for an office appear on the ballot without any party labels, so voters don’t see which political party, if any, those candidates are tied to. By contrast, partisan elections are races where candidates’ names appear on the ballot alongside their political party affiliation, such as Democrat or Republican, usually at the Federal and State levels.
Why are many city-level elections nonpartisan?
Local elections are often nonpartisan because most local issues do not necessarily involve national party ideology. Things like road maintenance, public safety, and zoning are more about effective problem-solving.
The nonpartisan debate
Supporters suggest that keeping city elections neutral lets voters focus on the qualifications of candidates and local issues rather than party affiliation. Since many voters use party affiliation as a voting tool, critics argue that removing party labels makes it more difficult for voters to quickly determine a candidate’s overall values.
Legislators and advocacy organizations in Florida, for instance, have proposed making school board elections partisan. Opponents worry that the shift could bring national politics into local school decisions. Supporters argue it would increase transparency.
“Although there is no official policy on nonpartisan elections, in 2024 LWV Florida strongly opposed Amendment 1 which if it has passed would have made school board races partisan. Reasons for opposition included exclusion of no party affiliation (NPA) and minor party voters, politicization of the campaign process, limiting the candidate pool and increasing the impact of financial contributions to campaigns,” said Jo Shim, president of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization.
Individuals who oppose nonpartisan elections claim that the term “nonpartisan” doesn’t always mean free from party control. Local party organizations may still back candidates, and voters frequently pick up on their preferences via campaign messaging or endorsements.
Ultimately, the way city elections are structured matters because these offices make decisions that directly affect people’s daily lives. From fixing potholes to ensuring safe neighborhoods and well-funded schools, city leaders play an essential role.
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LkldNow’s Voter Guide is made possible, in part, by support from Citrus Connection and readers like you. All editorial decisions are made independently by LkldNow.
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