Shortly after Republicans crushed Democrats in the 2010 election to regain control of the Alabama State Legislature, their first goal was to pass a series of ethics bills that would, in part, create a stronger sense of accountability for Alabama’s elections process. Because of the high profile of these reforms, it may be easy to overlook the electoral reform work that still needs to be tackled. One such task is addressing straight-ticket voting in elections.

Currently, Alabama is one of only a small minority of states that allows its citizens to bypass actually voting for individual candidates through straight ticket voting, which is a ballot process where a voter can select to vote for all members of a party. Alabama makes it simple. At the top of any ballot, one can simply check a single box to vote for all Republicans or Democrats on a ticket and not have to worry about who is actually running for each office.

This process insults our political system for the sake of simple convenience. Democracy functions under the assumption that voters are responsible for researching candidates and making an informed decision. Straight-ticket voting makes a mockery of this assumption. It caters to broad and often inapplicable ideology without regard for the responsibilities of each office.

This reality is particularly true in Alabama’s electoral system where specialized offices, such as judges and public service commissioners, are elected. Use this past election as an example. Democratic judges swept Republican incumbents out of office in Jefferson County largely due to a high voter turnout for President Obama, which translated into straight-Democratic voting.

What exactly does the platform of a Chicago Democrat in an executive position on the federal level have to do with the duties of a judicial branch member on the state level in a Deep South county? Absolutely nothing. And yet, it held profound implications on unrelated races through the assistance of straight-ticket voting.

This system reinforces the idea that party identification is more important than actually crafting a policy platform relevant to each position – and it shows. The current chair of the public service commission, which regulates state utilities, ran on a platform that mirrored the National Republican Party: fiscal responsibility and job creation.

Now, I am not naive enough to believe that eliminating straight-ticket voting would stop the state’s voters from casting their ballots along party lines and state candidates from campaigning on inapplicable party themes; however, that is their choice. Voters should be willing to check a box next to every candidate for their vote, and candidates should be able to campaign how they wish.

A larger issue of principle is at stake. If the state of Alabama is willing to assume that Democracy works and give enormous power to its elected officials, then it must also assume that its voters are making informed decisions. Straight-ticket voting undermines this assumption by formalizing the importance of party affiliation at the expense of individual policies.

Eliminating straight-ticket voting would represent a victory for democracy in Alabama. The legislature has already shown its willingness to create a fair and accountable elections process. It is time to take that desire one step further.

John Brinkerhoff is the Opinion Editor of The Crimson White