THE REFERENDUM question to allow Rome to permit Sunday package sales of alcohol may not win by the landslide it deserves on Tuesday.

It should be a shoo-in, but the City Commission after this was finally authorized as a local-option choice by the General Assembly last year decided against a quick special election in order to save about $23,000.

Understandable, given the budgetary times, but more than 100 other Georgia municipalities/counties have already started such sales.

Failing to strike while the iron was hot means that Tuesday’s election, which holds interest almost exclusively to Republicans trying to figure out who would be their best presidential candidate, will dominate the turnout.

Of course many Republicans drink, and probably no more or less than Democrats or independents, but a lot of citizens who believe in the freedoms of personal choice won’t be showing up.

Only city residents can vote on this, although those living in the unincorporated area of Floyd County and Cave Spring will also find a new liberty in the freedom they would receive if this passes. Most alcohol — any and all days of the week — is sold in Rome.

GIVEN THE CITY is already “wet” and has by-the-drink Sunday sales at restaurants, with no big new problems resulting, the outcome should be a gimme. Only the odd circumstances of Tuesday’s election put the outcome in any doubt whatsoever.

The current ban is the last of the once-common “blue laws” remaining. No religion should be telling government what to do, no more than any government should be telling any religion what to do.

If for this one issue alone, turn out at polls on Tuesday. The opinion to be voiced is saying “yes” to a simple matter: Good riddance to bad rubbish.