Do we want to be a one-party state?

When I first registered to vote there wasn’t much choice which party I would choose. About 73 percent were Democrats. The Pitt County Republican Party chair once cracked his party could hold their county convention in the phone booth on the courthouse lawn. They were that few.

Since the early 1900s, North Carolina had been a one-party state. If you wanted to vote in a primary election, a vote that often determined the ultimate winners, you had to be a Democrat - Republicans seldom held primaries. Some old-line Democrats still assert that they did a pretty good job of running our state during their almost 100-year reign. But did they?

After every decennial national census Democrats would studiously draw legislative and congressional districts, employing gerrymandering to virtually ensure their candidates would win. North Carolina had what was known as a “closed primary system,” meaning that the party to which you belonged was the only party ballot you could vote in primaries. That changed in 1986, when the US Supreme court ruled that political parties could decide whether their primary elections would be open to voters registered with other political parties. Republicans quickly allowed Unaffiliated voters to choose to vote in their primary elections. But the donkey party steadfastly refused to allow Unaffiliated registrants to vote in their primaries until it became obvious they were losing voters. Today, Unaffiliated voters can choose whether to vote either a Democratic or Republican primary ballot.

Over the years Democrats were perceived as more liberal and Republicans more conservative. In the 1990s, Republicans began winning more elections and in 2010, gained control of both chambers of our legislature. They reinforced those margins when redrawing legislative and congressional districts following the 2010 census. Using computers with specialized geographic information (GIS) and advanced algorithmic modeling they could carve districts so finitely that it had mostly Republicans living on one side of a street and Democrats on the other. They elevated gerrymandering to an art form.

Current voter registrations indicate 30.04 percent are Democrats, 30.33 are Republicans and 39.64 percent are Unaffiliated/Independent, according to The Independent Voter Project. But despite the apparent evenness, North Carolina is not a “purple” state, as some assert.

We are about as close to being a one-party state as is possible. In addition to a legislature controlled by Republicans, our congressional delegation has 11 Republicans and 3 Democrats. Our appellate courts are controlled by Republicans and the GOP has control of more local governing elected boards. Except for the 1984, ’88 and 2012 elections our Governors have been Democrats and the Council of State membership has become evenly split.

It is not the only reason, but a large contributor to our returning to one-party state status is gerrymandered districts without regards for others’ opinions. Large numbers of voters are being disenfranchised, violating the “one man, one vote” principle that affirms that one person’s vote ought to be equivalent to another’s.

There is a new concept for redistricting that should please all but the ultra-partisans, called “proportional redistricting.” It is based on election fairness, simplifying the drawing of districts, and participation by more candidates and voters. It might even dampen the independent expenditure groups that too often try to buy elections.

The basic idea is simple. First you determine voting districts based on population or other similar traits. For example, North Carolina has 120 legislative districts for our state House of Representatives. As an illustration, let’s redraw the maps into just 12 districts, each with 10 elected representatives, simplifying and eliminating most of the gerrymandering.

During the filing period candidates from each party can run. With 10 seats to be selected we will likely see more competition from within each party. Moderates, conservatives and liberals, minorities and others can offer themselves and give voters more options.

If more than 10 candidates file from either or both parties, some process must be developed to rank the order in which they will appear on the ballot. It could be by holding a primary, allowing party leadership to choose or other options.

On election day each voter will be allowed to vote for only one candidate from one party. When the polls close and the votes are tabulated, it is easily determined what percentage of votes went to Republicans and how many to Democrats. Let’s presume 60 percent voted Democratic and 40 percent Republican. With 10 to be chosen, 6 representatives would be Democrats and 4 Republicans, based on their order of appearance on the ballot.

There are obviously details that need developing, but proportional voting promises to end one party rule, improve governance, simplify elections and encourage greater participation by voters and candidates.  

In Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address he said we stand for government “of the people, by the people and for the people.” If that is true North Carolina doesn’t need to be a one-party state.

Tom Campbell is a Hall of Fame North Carolina broadcaster and columnist who has covered North Carolina public policy issues since 1965.  Contact him at tomcamp@ncspin.com