THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Tuesday, February 14, 1995             TAG: 9502140005
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A14  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Editorial 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   44 lines

VOTERS SHOULD RATE OUTGOING GOVERNORS ONE LAST VOTE

Virginians once considered the governorship of Virginia to be practically the highest office in the land. But complaints have been heard that some recent governors were more interested in angling for national positions, like the vice presidency, than in governing their own state.

In most states, voters angry at a governor can tell themselves, ``Wait till that sucker runs for re-election!'' But Virginia governors are constitutionally barred from consecutive terms. (A governor could sit out a term and come back, but since the Civil War, only Mills E. Godwin Jr. has done so.)

What Virginia needs, so voters will feel less frustrated, is a kind of exit vote. When Virginians vote on a new governor, they also would vote on the job the exiting governor did. It could be a yes-or-no exit vote: Did Gov. (name) do a good job?

The exit vote would carry no legal weight. Still, a sitting governor would know it was coming. A governor with national aspirations would figure he'd best do well on it. Thus voters would hold one last sword over a sitting governor's neck. Granted it would be a small sword - but still a sword.

We already have popularity polls, of course, but an actual vote, in the secrecy of the voting booth, would carry more weight and be more satisfying.

The exit vote would enable voters to thank a governor for a job well done, or to punish him for screwing up.

If the outgoing governor proved immensely popular, the incoming governor would know to repeat much of what the outgoing governor did. Or if the outgoing governor proved widely despised, the incoming governor might learn which actions to avoid.

Over the years, we could rank governors by their exit votes.

Best of all, exit votes would make voters feel better. They'd know that no sitting governor reigned completely beyond their reach. They could get in one last lick. by CNB