Maine’s political system is in desperate need of a reform that some legislators are in the process of pushing for.

Of five key statewide positions in Augusta — governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and auditor — voters only get to decide who should serve in one: governor.

The others are picked through secret ballots cast by state legislators once every two years. That makes all four of these officials dependent on keeping a majority of the Legislature happy. Whether or not the people of Maine share that enthusiasm isn’t especially relevant.

This insider process doesn’t work well.

There’s a reason that nearly every other state elects its attorney general and most of them also have the secretary of state and treasurer on the ballot for residents to make a choice. For one, it’s simply democratic, in the nonpartisan use of the word. Instead of letting a majority of the state Legislature pick much of the state’s leadership, the people would have the responsibility.

It’s easy to argue that the public doesn’t always choose wisely or well. Everyone can point to a winner or two who should never have been allowed near public office.

Yet while democracy isn’t perfect, it’s better than any alternative. One of the downsides of keeping voters out of the process is that the people who become Maine’s attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer or auditor wind up with no broad political base.

They don’t have the clout that comes with winning an election. Why does that matter? In other states, the men and women who eventually become governor tend to have held roles like attorney general or secretary of state, two common springboards to higher office.

In Maine, Gov. Janet Mills is a rare example of someone who made the leap from attorney general to the Blaine House. Most of the time, though, our governors haven’t held any intermediate office that tests their skills at the state level. It’s as if the Boston Red Sox had to choose a starting lineup from players who had never donned the uniform of the Portland Sea Dogs or any other farm club.

A lot of politicians in Augusta recognize the Legislature shouldn’t play so large a role.

“We are overdue for reform,” said state Sen. Joe Baldacci, a Bangor Democrat.

The Republican leader in the state House, Rep. Billy Bob Faulkingham of Winter Harbor, agreed that Maine’s process “no longer reflects the values of a modern democracy.”

“When our constitutional officers are directly elected by the people, they are directly accountable to Maine voters,” Faulkingham said, a step that “will enhance the legitimacy of our state government, as it reflects the will of the people.”

Harris Van Pate, an analyst for a conservative think tank, the Maine Policy Institute, recently told lawmakers that adding more elections would “improve transparency, accountability and public trust in appointing Maine’s most critical constitutional offices.”

State leaders who win on Election Day instead of a State House backroom would “have to answer to their voters” instead of catering to the Legislature, Faulkingham said, adding that the change, which would require a constitutional amendment, would “ensure a more diverse and representative state government” that voters “are more likely to trust.”

If legislators put the interests of everyday Mainers ahead of maintaining their own power, this much-needed, long-delayed reform could happen soon.

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Robert Wessels of Norway told legislators to jump at the opportunity to make the change.

“You will forever be credited as the Legislature that unselfishly gave up some power and handed it over to the people,” Wessels said.

Easier said than done, but absolutely on the mark.