Clean Elections
Elections are the principal method by which citizens hold public officials accountable for their actions. CC/PA believes that elections must be both fair and competitive, and that reforms needed to achieve this goal include the following:
CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
In an effort to protect the integrity and competitiveness of elections, over two-thirds of the states in our nation now restrict the amount of money, and in some cases the timing of donations, that individuals and organizations may give to political candidates. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is not one of these states. In Pennsylvania, we need to break the bond between affluent special interest groups (and individuals) and powerful elected officials who control the governing process, and thus public policy. We need to bring the system by which Pennsylvania's elections are funded into the 21st century. Basic elements of needed campaign reform legislation include:
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Limiting the size of contributions that can be given to candidates, PACs, and political parties;
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Restricting the total amount of contributions candidates may accept from PACs and Parties;
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Restricting the time period during which contributions can be solicited or given;
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Prohibiting business partnerships from making political contributions from company accounts;
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Enacting safeguards to stop circumvention of restrictions (e.g. anti-bundling provisions);
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Limiting the amount of money candidates may spend on statewide races (Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Treasurer, and Appellate Court Judges). Enactment of candidate spending limits, may also require some form of public financing to encourage candidates' voluntary compliance, and to comply with current court rulings.
OPEN AND COMPETITIVE ELECTIONS
Open and competitive elections are critical to government accountability and effectiveness. Participation in the electoral process by both candidates and voters is critical to full participation. Yet, Pennsylvania has outdated voting systems and one of the most restrictive systems for ballot access by candidates. Voters find it difficult to register and have their votes counted. Minor party candidates have difficulty getting on the ballot, because minor party candidates now must secure many more signatures than candidates from the two major parties. Needed reforms in this area include:
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Making the number of petition signatures required for minor party candidates comparable to those major party candidates;
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Examining proposals for "open primaries" that would permit all registered voters to vote in primary elections;
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Continuing to promote and defend "motor-voter" and other methods for maximizing voter registration opportunities, including election day registration and a statewide registry of voters; and
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Modernizing and upgrading present voting technology, including: expanding voting timeframes, and the location and accessibility of polling sites; statewide uniform ballot standards that guarantee understandable and easy to read ballots; providing state-of-the-art voting machines, and considering new technologies such as phone and Internet voting; and updating ballot counting and recount procedures.
DISCLOSURE OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS
The 1978 Campaign Finance Reporting Law requires political candidates to disclose their financial backers so that voters can gain insights into candidates' ideological foundations and where their allegiances may lie. Unfortunately, this disclosure system is plagued by inadequate compliance and lack of enforcement. Better disclosure and access to financial contribution and spending information would be advanced by the following reforms:
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Computerizing the State Election Bureau reports and posting candidates' disclosure reports on the Internet in a fully searchable data-base; and
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Staffing the Election Bureau sufficiently to enforce the current law.