Keep primary on one day

More than 90 percent of registered voters did not vote in Charlotte’s mayoral primary last week, and even more will stay home for next month’s runoff between Jennifer Roberts and Dan Clodfelter.

The numbers will be much better for next year’s primary because it’s a presidential year. But clearly it takes a lot to get people off their sofa and into a voting booth.

That’s why legislators are smart to move North Carolina’s state and local primaries next spring from May to March. They had already decided to move the presidential primary up so that North Carolina would be relevant in the national race. The nominee had often been all but decided in past years by the time North Carolina’s May primary rolled around.

But they had considered leaving races from U.S. Senate down to county commissioner in the May slot. House Speaker Tim Moore said last week that the legislature will move all the primaries to March 15.

Holding one primary instead of two will save a few million bucks. It will also boost turnout for all races. The presidential race will draw big numbers. If the other races stood alone, turnout would likely fall off dramatically.

Legislators are also mulling whether and when to put a $2 billion bond referendum before voters. They should put it on the same March 15 ballot to ensure a solid turnout for it.

Some say moving the primary up six weeks will make it harder for challengers to get organized and raise money quickly. But most folks considering a run are already well down that road.

A lesson in safety

If you’re a fan of NASCAR, you might recognize the stages of denial Major League Baseball is going through regarding fans being injured by balls and bats flying into the stands.

First, there was the “freak accident” stage, in which team and league officials emphasized the infrequency of such incidents instead of acknowledging their inevitability, given the proximity of fans to the action.

Then there’s the “you should pay attention” stage, in which baseball officials passively place blame on fans for not being more careful about their own safety.

We’re still waiting for the “do something about it” stage.

At least twice this year, MLB fans have been taken from the stands in stretchers after they were struck by balls or bats flying into the seats. Many more fans have been injured, although less seriously, by hard hit foul balls at MLB stadiums across the country, including this month.

It’s not just a matter of paying poor attention. Fans watching the action can be hit by shards of bat flying awkwardly and dangerously at them, or by balls that other fans in front of them decided to dodge at the last moment.

The simple solution: Extend the screen behind home plate down the lines at stadiums. It’s not that intrusive to fans watching the game, but it will prevent serious injury – or perhaps worse – to your paying customers.

NASCAR eventually came to a similar conclusion, putting up higher and stronger fences to protect its fans at major tracks. Even those haven’t prevented all fans from being hit by race debris, but it’s a start.

Baseball, during its off-season, should stop “studying” the issue and start following suit.

This story was originally published September 20, 2015 at 1:19 PM with the headline "Keep primary on one day."