Commission agrees to let voters decide on nonpartisan elections after study commission recommendation

Daniels County commissioners voted March 16 to put a nonpartisan-election question before voters after a recommendation from the county’s Local Government Study Commission.

Joanne Bjarto, chair of the Local Government Study Commission, told commissioners the commission’s surveys produced a majority favoring nonpartisan elections and asked the board to place the question on the November ballot. “We got a very clear reading that citizens of Daniels County want nonpartisan elections,” Bjarto said during her presentation.

Some commissioners pressed on sample size and representativeness. One commissioner noted the study’s computer responses yielded 106 entries and said, “That’s like a 3% of the population,” expressing concern that the survey may not reflect broader voter views. Despite those questions, a motion to approve resolution 2026-8 — allowing voters to decide whether county offices should be nonpartisan — was seconded and passed by voice vote.

Why it matters: placing the measure on the ballot would let voters determine whether certain county offices will appear without party labels in future elections. Commissioners and the study commission discussed timing: the study commission plans a town hall and additional public education ahead of any election, and August deadlines for ballot placement remain in staff notes.

What’s next: the study commission will include the item in its tentative report, hold a town hall on April 14 and continue public outreach before the ballot deadline.