To the editor:

Having read social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s book, “The Righteous Mind,” it has been unsurprising to see the relentless vitriol served up on local community forums over party politics as this election draws near. Haidt’s research on political psychology explains exactly why this happens, observing that human morality evolved to form group loyalties, noting that morality “binds and blinds.”

When voters see a political team label, their brains shift from objective problem-solving to partisan defense. As Haidt notes, intuitions come first, strategic reasoning second. His data on moral intuition shows that once party affiliation is attached to an issue, individuals instantly fall into groupish, tribal thinking, focusing on winning for their team rather than evaluating local solutions on their merits. It is clear when perusing comments on our local message boards that this is exactly what is happening.

Voting yes on Question 7 is a simple, common-sense decision to put our community first by taking party labels that encourage vicious tribalism out of local government. Town councils and school committees deal with practical, neighborhood issues like repairing roads, funding local classrooms, maintaining parks and balancing the municipal budget. These decisions do not require a Democratic or Republican label. When local elections become partisan, national ideological divides poison our dialogue, turning local problems into tribal battles that divide neighbors and distract us from getting things done.

Half of registered voters here in Portsmouth choose not to affiliate with a political party; we are a fairly neutral body. A yes vote on Question 7 finally removes tribal partisan politics from our town’s government. Frankly, it is baffling why anyone would want to drag national party warfare into our town, and only die-hard partisans would see an issue with removing party labels from local ballots. It is bewildering why anyone would fight to keep a system that creates such unnecessary hostility. Voting yes on Question 7 dismantles this automatic partisan blind spot, keeping our focus on what is actually best for Portsmouth.

Eliminating partisan labels also directly unlocks a wealth of untapped talent among our local federal employees. Because we are home to a U.S. Navy base, many of our residents are subject to federal regulations like the Hatch Act, which precludes them from running for town council or school committee simply because the positions carry party designations. I have felt this frustration firsthand. I was interested in running for school committee several years ago but was unable to do so because of the Hatch Act. Nonpartisan elections would allow skilled, civic-minded neighbors to run, giving our town access to a larger pool of experienced leaders who are already committed to serving the public interest.

By voting yes on Question 7, we can remove unnecessary party lines and build a more inclusive, effective local government together.

Sofia A. Sinclair

Portsmouth