Campaign finance reporting in clear need of transparency

Ross Miller

Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 | 2 a.m.

When an inversion layer covers the Las Vegas Valley, it obscures our view and creates an unhealthy atmosphere. In much the same way, political inertia is obscuring our view of how our political system works, and in the process creating an unhealthy political environment.

The transparency that is essential to good government has been clouded for too long in Nevada, and while many states are taking steps to increase transparency, here in the Silver State we are making little or no progress. Nevada’s laws regarding political campaigns, particularly the laws regarding campaign finance disclosure, are ranked among some of the nation’s worst.

Nevada’s grades in the most recent Campaign Disclosure Project conducted by the UCLA School of Law and the Pew Charitable Trusts were dismal, consistent with past grades and rankings by other groups.

In 2008 Nevada received its fourth consecutive “F” grade for its weak campaign finance laws, slipping from grade “D” in 2003, and becoming the only state to consistently fall in rankings with each new report, ranking 45th overall.

At the beginning of the last legislative session, I submitted legislation to address some of the shortcomings in Nevada’s campaign and elections laws. My omnibus bill was intended to increase both transparency and accessibility for voters. The need for such a bill was painfully clear to me and many Nevadans (but ultimately not so clear as to assure final passage).

Most significantly, my legislation included provisions to implement a system of online voter registration, proposals to strengthen regulations regarding voter registration drives by private organizations, and provisions to mandate online filing of candidates’ campaign finance and financial disclosure reports.

The overarching purpose of my legislation was to increase access and transparency while increasing the security and integrity of our electoral system.

Online voter registration as proposed in the bill would have moved our current registration system into the 21st century. With increasing numbers of people paying bills online, obtaining professional licenses via the Internet, and registering vehicles on the Web, it was clear that Nevadans are ready for such a system. Electronic voter registration would streamline the voter identification process for both voters and election administrators, increasing access and decreasing administrative costs.

The system I proposed to the Nevada Legislature would have been similar to that used in Washington and Arizona, which provides election security safeguards by not allowing a person to register to vote online without a current and valid driver’s license or state-issued identification card.

Increased accessibility brings with it issues of security and integrity, which we addressed by including language in the bill that would have tightened the checks on voter registration drives by private organizations such as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). Private organizations that register voters have been unchecked for too long, which I sought to address through regulations that would have provided greater accountability as well as training.

Addressing the issue of transparency, my legislation would have mandated that candidates file financial disclosure forms and campaign contribution and expense reports online. The single biggest reason Nevada receives “F” grades in campaign disclosure is that our campaign reporting forms are not presented in a usable format for voters.

Our system requires my office to post the reports online in a static HTML or PDF format, which means voters have to sift through thousands of pages to find specific contributions or campaign expenses. Posting the forms and reports online, as is currently done for federal candidates, provides immediate access to voters who have a right to know how or by whom a campaign is being funded.

Online reporting is not an onerous requirement for candidates and there is simply no good reason to reject such a modest request for providing sunshine in campaign finance.

The ultimate demise of the legislation was a loss for all Nevadans who seek greater access and transparency in our electoral system. The legislative session ended before the bill made it through both houses.

It will take the winds of change to establish sunshine in government and to remove the inversion layer that continues to obscure our view, resulting in an unhealthy political atmosphere. Those winds will be generated when voter apathy and inertia are replaced by a genuine and compelling call from the public for an electoral system with accessibility and integrity.