Speaker of the House John Richardson would like to exact a price from politicians who desert their party after an election. When the political whims of a single lawmaker can throw the organization of the State House into the wind, it’s easy to understand why.

In this short legislative session, the defection of former Democratic state Rep. Barbara Merrill temporarily cost Democrats their majority in the House. Rep. Joanne Twomey, who left the party last year along with Rep. Tom Saviello, then rejoined the Democrats to restore a 74-seat majority.

Richardson, who handled the upheaval admirably and continues to work on increasing the Republican membership on some committees and expanding minority staffing, wants to punish future party- switchers.

On Monday, he talked to the Portland Press Herald about an idea that would force defectors to stand for a special election.

In the harshest terms, politicians who abandon their political parties after they are elected are called traitors, and we’ve heard their actions described as a bait-and-switch or false advertising.

As much as most of us like to think that voters make their decisions based on careful consideration of a candidate’s views and personal attributes, many voters choose based upon party affiliations. For them, a switcher can look fraudulent.

But in our system of government, elections are first and foremost a clash of personalities. We don’t elect a slate of candidates representing a political party as is done in a parliamentary system. We vote for individuals, whom we then endow with the responsibility of making their own choices, based on the desires of their constituents and their own consciences. They are not blindly tied to the platform of their party or bound to follow the wishes of its hierarchy.

Such independence has caused problems for both political parties. While Democrats suffered through the most recent vagaries, Republicans have also felt the sting of defections.

Politicians who change parties between elections will face voters again and will have to answer for their decisions. Mandating special elections would certainly speed the confrontation, but at a cost of time, money and increased organizational uncertainty at the State House.

The motivations for changing parties are as varied as the individuals who do it. Sometimes, it’s for political gain. Other times, it’s because of deeply held personal convictions.

Party is not the be-all and end-all, and it’s not the Mafia. Individuals should have the ability to walk away if they want to, even if it causes problems for party leaders. Richardson has shown restraint when dealing with independent-minded lawmakers. We see no good reason for him to depart from that course now.