Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Election Filing Reform topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Judiciary committee advances "Equal Access to the Ballot" with technical fixes to filing and verification process, 19–1
Summary
The committee approved a substitute to require electronic filing of statements of economic interest, add a receiving official affirmation and allow candidates to cure technical defects; the panel voted 19–1 to report the bill to the full Senate after adopting perfecting amendments.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a committee substitute to the "Equal Access to the Ballot" Act that changes how candidates file statements of economic interest and how receiving officials verify filings.
Senator Charleston, presenting the subcommittee package, said the bill would require candidates — incumbents and challengers alike — to file an electronic statement of economic interest before their statement of intention of candidacy is accepted. The measure also creates an affirmation/confirmation process so receiving party officials must confirm electronically filed statements and provide candidates with a written affirmation that can be used to correct technical problems before certification.
Charleston emphasized a cure period and graduated penalties: candidates would have an opportunity to fix technical defects and the bill proposes a modest administrative fine for filing deficiencies rather than immediately removing a candidate from the ballot. "The only sentence is not the death sentence," he said, describing the bill as a way to prevent eligible candidates from being tossed from the ballot over clerical errors.
Senators pressed staff on operational details: how an electronic filing would work if the state website or power failed on the deadline day; whether attachments such as leases could be uploaded; who administers fines (election or ethics commission); and when someone legally 'becomes a candidate' for purposes of filing. State staff (referred to as Mr. Hayden in the record) said the system does not currently accept uploaded attachments, and paper copies would have to be mailed in when necessary.
Committee members proposed and adopted several perfecting amendments (including shortening the filing window and locating party filing at county election commission headquarters), debated whether to carry the bill over for another week of amendment drafting and ultimately adopted a final committee report. The committee recorded a favorable report, 19–1, and will transmit the bill to the Senate floor for additional amendments and debate.
What the bill changes: among other technical changes, it (1) requires electronic filing of the statement of economic interest, (2) requires receiving officials to confirm filings and provide an affirmation/receipt to candidates, (3) creates an opportunity to cure defects prior to certification, (4) narrows the filing window and provides handling rules when the deadline falls on a weekend or legal holiday, and (5) creates an administrative fine structure for limited failures to cure.
