Souza still pushing election change

Increasing participation in local elections may seem like an insurmountable challenge.

But one state senator is continuing her attempts to raise voter turnout in what she sees as one of the most important, yet underrepresented, aspects of local governing — school district boards.

On Monday, Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur d’Alene, pitched to the Senate Education Committee a bill she is sponsoring to alter the way school district trustees are elected throughout the state. Souza told members of the committee she did a random review of 2015 trustee elections in 22 school districts, half of which had less than 12 percent voter turnout.

“We need to increase the very, very low turnout in school board elections,” Souza said. “They are a critical part of the educational system”/ Keith Cousins , Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.