Why partisan elections?
The election Tuesday to replace a Cobb school board member who resigned over the summer was technically a nonpartisan race. Ron Younker defeated Allison Bartlett to serve as District 7 representative on the board. He’ll get to hold the office for three months. On Nov. 4, Younker, a Republican and Bartlett, a Democrat, will be on the ballot facing each other again — this time for the full four-year-term for District 7 that begins in January. The results could reverse, depending on who shows up at the polls that day and whether it is an overwhelmingly Republican or Democratic year. This is just plain dumb. There’s no reason this post should be voted on twice this year. The reason it happens is because Cobb County holds on to the anachronism of partisan school board elections. Most Georgia municipalities did away with partisan elections years ago. School boards should too. There are two metro school districts that steadfastly hold on to the tradition of partisanship — Clayton and Cobb cou
