How do you inform people of something that won’t be on the next General Election ballot?

That was the question Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea hoped would be answered at a meeting with elected officials and representatives from local boards of canvassers on Friday. She got some answers.

While the 2016 elections seem a long way away, Gorbea said she had the meeting to comply with legislation eliminating the party master lever from the ballot. The bill, introduced by Warwick Rep. K. Joseph Shekarchi and approved by the General Assembly last year, calls for elimination of straight party voting as of Jan. 1, 2015. The measure also calls for voter information sessions beginning within a month. Senator David Bates introduced the Senate version of the bill.

Gorbea agreed it seemed a bit early to get started on educating the public, but then she’s complying with the law.

The bigger question is whether informational sessions really matter, since the ballot won’t offer single-party voting and the electorate will have to choose between candidates.

Gorbea thought it would help, as voters accustomed to using the master lever would know what to expect.

“It will be a smoother process and won’t slow things down,” she said.

Shekarchi called the bill his “signature piece of legislation.” Personally, Shekarchi said he doesn’t see elimination of the master lever as dramatically altering the outcome of elections. There was overwhelming support to eliminate the master ballot. He said it is important, especially for the elderly, to understand what they can expect when they vote next time.

Mayor Scott Avedisian thought the bill could positively effect elections, especially non-partisan positions like those of the School Committee. As it is now, Avedisian said there’s a disparity between the number of votes cast for partisan and non-partisan seats. The conclusion is that some voters are going no further than casting a straight party vote and are not casting ballots for non-partisan seats.

With removal of the master lever, Avedisian hopes that more attention will be focused on School Committee races.

In her brief presentation, Gorbea said only 11 states retain the master lever and that the West Virginia legislature is considering a measure to strike it.

Gorbea said Friday’s informational session was the first of its kind and that similar meetings would be held in other parts of the state. She said her office would be working closely with AARP and that she would be bringing the information to senior centers.

Apart from informational meetings, it was suggested that a printed notice accompany ballots informing voters of the change, that posters in polling locations carry the information and that a notice be printed directly on the ballot.

Gorbea thought the information campaign poses a unique challenge as it is based on telling people about something they’re not going to see.