LET VOTERS DECIDE IN ALEXANDER COUNTY, ILL.

In the latest episode of "As Alexander County Turns," Circuit Judge John Speroni ruled that a March 2000 Democratic primary in the Illinois county was riddled with fraud, and a temporary circuit clerk should be appointed until voters elect a new one.

Last week's decision should have brought a quick and fair conclusion to a yearlong debate over who should hold the post, but the sitting circuit clerk who won the March 2000 Democratic primary likely will appeal. That means dragging the issue out even longer.

And that's par for Alexander County, where many voters feel so disenfranchised they probably won't go to the polls when a new primary is held in 2002.

The latest legal saga began in April 2000, when incumbent clerk Susan C. Hileman contested her 210-vote loss to Sharon McGinness in the primary, citing possible absentee voter fraud. McGinness eventually beat her Republican opponent in the general election and took office.

Hileman had good reason to look to the courts. Alexander County's top election official, Louis Maze, was under investigation for voter fraud. He eventually faced 21 charges relating to election-law violations three counts of official misconduct, six counts of forgery and solicitation to commit forgery and 12 counts of violating the state election code.

Maze pleaded guilty to one count of mutilation of election materials and was sentenced to one year probation and 100 hours of community service.

The judge threw out the results of the November 2000 circuit clerk's election. He wrote that "fraud permeated the electoral process in the 2000 Democratic primary," rendering the general election's votes void.

Hileman's lawyer said she likely will run in the 2002 primary. That's what she should do. And that's what McGinness should do as well.

Instead, McGinness apparently chooses to clutch desperately to an office that isn't truly hers. She won it in an election that resulted in an elected official's resignation and conviction.

Why not remove any whiff of impropriety and simply have a "do over." That's what children call it in their sandlot games when something goes awry and a participant is given another chance.

Surely, given the opportunity to do the same regarding something as important as holding public office, Alexander County voters will make the right choice.