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Change the Game

DENVER - Today, Colorado Ethics Watch released its first comprehensive research report on public policy in Colorado, tackling the issue of partisan politics in election and campaign finance administration.  The report, titled Change the Game, offers three potential solutions to reform the system and take politics out of the administration that manages elections.

As Colorado approaches the 10 year anniversary of Amendment 27, which incorporated modern-day campaign and political finance reform into the Colorado Constitution, Ethics Watch researched, compared and evaluated the system that Colorado uses for election administration and campaign finance enforcement, setting out to answer three questions:

1)     Do we have a fair and effective administration serving Colorado voters?

2)     Does the current system properly balance protecting the right to vote and ensuring voter confidence in our elections processes and outcomes?

3)     Are the values of Colorado voters regarding transparency of political spending and nonpartisan enforcement of the campaign and political finance rules best served by our current system?

Change the Game evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the Colorado system and looks at administration models used across the country to recommend changes to strengthen our structure. In the report, Ethics Watch gathered data and information from institutions specialized in electoral system reform and state government sources. While the report does not discuss possible changes to substantive rules of campaign finance and election administration, such as regulation of corporate expenditures or voter identification requirements, it instead focuses on the structure used to implement and enforce those rules and why that structure matters.

“As Coloradans, we are on the brink of a constant cycle of struggles over control of elections that will make the redistricting battles that happen every ten years look tame,” said Luis Toro, director of Colorado Ethics Watch.  “We hope this report will start a dialogue that leads to fundamental reform in the way elections are managed in our state.”

The report discusses why depoliticizing the campaign finance and election administration system in Colorado is important, and suggests concrete reform proposals for future implementation by Colorado voters and the General Assembly.  Three possible solutions include:

1)     Nonpartisan Director of Elections

• Appointed by Governor from bipartisan list with Senate Confirmation

2)     Nonpartisan Secretary of State

• Appointed by Governor from bipartisan list with Senate Confirmation

3)     Independent Commission

• Expand jurisdiction of Independent Ethics Commission to include election and campaign finance

“Making control of the election machinery itself a prize to be won by one party or another to gain an advantage in the next election can only increase voter cynicism and alienation from a government that is supposed to work for the people,” added Toro.  “Partisan politicians who themselves are players in the political arena shouldn’t also serve as the referee.  But the long-term answer isn’t to change the player; it’s to change the game.”

For the complete report, visit www.coloradoforethics.org/co-pages/changethegame.