The Enquirer: Now that the election is mercifully over, we must pause to reflect on The Cincinnati Enquirer’s hodge-podge of endorsements for City Council. The paper’s slate included two Democrats, three Republicans, two Charterites, one Charter-Democrat and one independent.  

CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL: This progressive downtown church, located on East Fourth Street, helps serve the public good with its “Community Issues Forum.” Held alternating Thursdays at noon between late September and May, the forum features speakers on current issues and political races affecting Cincinnati.  

Cincinnati currently elects its city council members in an at-large, winner-take-all field race known as "9X." Voters are allowed to select up to nine people from a field of candidates that usually includes about 20 to 25 people. The top nine finishers are elected. Some community groups, however, say the current system distorts the will of voters and shuts out fresh voices that don’t have high name recognition, big campaign money or party connections. As a result, the groups are pushing to revive proportional representation (PR), an electoral system used by Cincinnati from 1925 to 1957.   

All you need to know about what’s wrong with Cincinnati City Council elections is that every two years candidates try to finish ninth. If you can finish ninth in a citywide election here, you’re in charge.