Accidently voted no... my only problem with this is that a single class of senators would always be elected with the president.
I actually think Senatorial terms should be reduced to four years. Either that or the number of Senators per state is increased to three or for there to be a four-year gap between Senatorial elections nationwide with the exception of necessary special elections. I think that, except when necessary due to vacancies that occur in the middle of a term, whenever the citizens of one state get to elect a U.S. Senator, the citizens of each state shall have the same oppertunity. The prevailing national (as well as regional and local) political issues can change between one biennial election and the next, and I think that (again, except for when special elections are necessary, and even then some states like Maine only have special elections in November of even-numbered years where a Senate seat would be up for election every time under my proposal anyway) whenever some eligible voters get to vote for a Senator from their state with the issues of the day in mind, everyone should.
I don't see anything wrong with there being "Gubernatorial election class" (although I know several states do not elect Governors two years before and after each Presidential election, and in New Hampshire and Vermont each Senator is already elected and reelected in the same year as the Governor and would continue to be) and "Presidential election class" Senators. Nor would I have any problem with there being "Presidential election class," "first mid-term election class" and "second mid-term election class" Senators (there would be two Congressional elections between each pair of consecutive Presidential elections if Presidents were elected to six-year terms and the election of all U.S. Representatives and some U.S. Senators in every even-numbered year were not changed) provided there were one of each from each state.
What might be best, however, if you support six-year terms for President and U.S. Senator but share my concern about states electing Senators at the same time, is for Senators to be elected, except for when necessary due to vacancies, only two years and four years after each Presidential election. Thus each state would have a "first mid-term election class" and a "second mid-term election class" Senator, and no "Presidential election class" Senator. In fact, with that system, except for where special elections were necessary, there would be two federal offices up for election by the voters of every state and Congressional district on every first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in even-numbered years (including in Louisiana, which now has its Senatorial and (House) Congressional "primary" elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November and any necessary run-off Senatorial or Congressional elections later). The period between the primary and run-off elections in Louisiana is short enough that I don't see it as unfair to other states that Louisiana voters might get to vote for a Senator or U.S. Representative when noone else gets to because no candidate wins a majority in the all-party primary. Besides, I think it's neat that Louisiana has its unique system. I hope they don't change it.
Sincerely,
Kevin Lamoreau
Poll
