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PDC staff to study text reminders and rule options after chronic contact-info gaps
Summary
Commissioners and staff discussed requiring personal email addresses, optional text-message reminders, and targeted snail-mail postcards to reduce undeliverable notices; staff committed to study feasibility, cost and rulemaking options and report back in the interim.
Commissioners and staff devoted substantial discussion to a chronic operational problem: campaigns and committees often list campaign email addresses that are later deactivated, leaving the PDC unable to reach filers. Commissioners asked whether the statute or regulations require which address a filer must provide and whether the commission could impose rule changes.
Staff said the statute requires filers to supply an email address of record upon registration but that the commission could consider rulemaking to require or clarify a durable personal contact method. Peter suggested a rule requiring filers to provide a personal email to the commission (not necessarily published publicly) and staff said they could research the cost of targeted snail-mail reminders after primaries. Senator Wilson (the agency sponsor) had also raised text messaging as an option; staff said they would evaluate whether optional text reminders would be feasible and require additional resources.
Why it matters: Undeliverable or unmonitored campaign contact information reduces the practical effectiveness of email as the commission’s official channel and can complicate enforcement and hearing notice delivery. Commissioners directed staff to study options, including postcards to recently registered filers and optional text reminders, and to return with resource estimates and implementation recommendations.
No regulatory changes were adopted at the meeting; staff will report back after the interim research.
