It’s only six days to Election Day, and candidates are trying to reach those last voters who could possibly swing the election their way. This has been one of the longest campaigns I can ever remember. That probably has to do with the early start of the election this year.

Now, the sixth and final election of 2008 is almost here. I don’t know about you, but I am exhausted with all of these elections. We have to elect so many different positions in our government.

Alabama’s government is set up for almost everything to be elected. We elect everyone from the district judge to the chief justice on the Supreme Court. We elect our governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and numerous other executive department heads. We elect our probate judges, sheriffs, commissions, tax assessor, tax collectors and coroners.

And if that wasn’t enough, we have amendments. On Tuesday, we have six statewide amendments and two local amendments, which could be added to our already massive Alabama Constitution of 1901.

It’s sad that the county commission has to get an act through the Legislature and then have to be approved by an election for the county to legally have a store at the jail so prisoners can buy snacks. If we elect a county commission, they should have the responsibility to take care of local business instead of having to always get approval from the Legislature on most everything.

Elections in Alabama don’t make sense to me. I think we should elect fewer offices and then give those offices the responsibility they should have. In a way, our state government should mimic federal government. It would then make our vote more important.

When we vote for governor, the governor would then have the responsibility of appointing his or her lieutenant governor along with the rest of the cabinet, just like what happens at the federal government level. And I think our counties need home rule. That would make it more important to choose the best people possible in our local races.

I know this wouldn’t solve all the problems, but we voters could keep a better track record of just how our elected officials are doing.