Orange County may be changing the way it does elections if voters pass a charter amendment pushing to make all county races partisan.

After a public discussion Tuesday morning, Orange County commissioners voted to put the issue on the November ballot.

Nothing will change about this year's election, but if the charter amendment is passed, county officials elected this year would have to run again in two years, rather than four. That's because the amendment calls to add party affiliations next to the names of all county candidates on the ballot starting in 2016.

Why wait two years instead of a full four? There's no official answer for that, but supporters of the amendment say change "has to happen sometime," and they don't see a point in waiting any longer.

Among the elected officials the charter amendment would impact is Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, who is running unopposed for re-election this year, but would have to run again in two years, effectively cutting her upcoming term in half.

So, what does Mayor Jacobs think about the charter amendment?

"I think the issue is really an issue for the voters to decide," Jacobs told us. "Does it make sense for me to have a two-year term? Is that what they want? Do they want a two-year mayor, or did they want a four-year mayor?"

The group Citizens for Informed Elections, which is pushing for the change, says this is a bipartisan issue that will allow for more transparency.

"Right now in Orange County, voters don't know whether we're voting for a Democrat or a Republican," the group says in a statement on its website. "Voters have a right to know as much information as possible about political candidates before making an informed decision."

But those who oppose this effort say this will actually disengage voters from doing their own independent research on candidates.

It's also worth noting that the proposed partisan election in Orange County would take effect in 2016 — a presidential election year. With about 100,000 more Democrats than Republicans registered in Orange County, that could translate into a higher Democratic turnout for the county elections, which currently hold a Republican majority.