Worse yet, some communities cannot even muster enough interested individuals to ensure that there is one person on the ballot for each elected position!  Here is just a few examples of this trend:  "Three area elections attract write-in candidates."

How have things come to this?  There are many reasons - here are just a few:

• The Michigan Republican Party utterly failed in 2008 in its outreach and grassroots efforts.  We can do better.  

I agree with Akindele Akinyemi, recent MI-GOP leadership candidate, and deeply appreciate his efforts to bring conservative principles to urban audiences and young people.

• Partisan local elections deter potential candidates.

Worse yet, I overheard numerous comments from voters complaining that they could not find "their" candidate for local office (in all cases, "their candidate" had been on the August Primary Ballot and had lost).  

I've heard similar laments from candidates who express their frustration with the confusing and anti-democratic process of partisan local elections.  I once attended a city council candidates' debate where an "independent" candidate (a republican running in a one-party town) had to "crash" the debate by standing up and speaking from the audience, rather than with the other candidates!  

Why?  Because his name wasn't on the August Primary Election ballot, but rather the November general election (and no additional "candidates' debate" was held before the November election, despite invitations to the Democrat nominee).  

Voters expect to make their choice in November, not in August, which is why the one-party politicians in my town ensure that the "real vote" takes place during the August Democrat Primary election, when most voters aren't paying attention!   Why run when the system has been so badly rigged in favor of one party?

Where local communities have moved to non-partisan local elections, the result is more choice and less confusion.  Candidates must run on their records, policies, and plans, rather than relying on straight party voters to sweep them into office.

• Four-year terms deter potential candidates.

One retired Democrat city councilmember once told me that the reason he pushed (successfully) for a city charter change from two-year to four-year city council terms was to "stabilize" the council (i.e. protect incumbent officials).  In this case, it worked.  In one case, a sitting city councilmember enjoyed several full terms of office without ever experiencing a contested election.  He lost by a wide margin in last August's Democrat Primary, when (finally) confronted with a serious challenger.

• Recall mania deters potential candidates.

We need the recall process as a safety valve to remove the truly incompetent and malfeasant from office, but the process needs to be reformed to minimize the abuses.  "Why run for office just to be attacked?" is a common comment from potential candidates.

• Personal attacks deter potential candidates.