A Political Reform Agenda for Michigan

Election administration

· Establish regulations against fraud in the ballot initiative process

· Allow no-excuse absentee ballots

· Reduce from 30 days the time requirement between registration and voting

· Rotate which party’s candidate is listed first on the ballot

· Assure that election winners are chosen by a majority of voters

Campaign Finance

· Require quarterly campaign finance reporting from all registered committees: candidate committees, PACs, political parties and ballot committees

· Require 48-hour reporting of late independent expenditures

· Establish contribution limits for PACs and parties

· Raise contribution limits for candidates facing big-spending self-funded opponents

· Establish an aggregate individual contribution limit

· Establish a limit on “lame duck” fundraising

· Require political robo-calls to have a disclaimer and be disclosed as campaign expenditures

· Regulate “issue ads”

Lobbying

· Set a low, uniform threshold for reporting of all lobbying expenditures

· Require a one-year “cooling off” period before an elected official or high administration official can become a registered lobbyist

Enforcement

· Establish an independent, nonpartisan body for enforcement of campaign finance, lobbying and ethics laws

· Make penalties for violations that are severe enough to provide a real disincentive for future violations

· Implement random audits and audits for cause of campaign finance reports

Ethics

· Require personal financial disclosure for elected officials and top administration officials

· Extend ethics law to cover the legislative branch

· Require financial disclosure of elected officials’ legal defense funds

Judicial independence

· Establish a system of full public funding for Supreme Court campaigns

Term limits

· Eliminate or extend term limits

Redistricting

· Establish a redistricting process that reduces partisan considerations in drawing boundaries, promotes election competition, and respects minority voting rights.

A Political Reform Agenda for Michigan

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