Campaign Finance Transparency
Transparency in political financing is crucial for a healthy democracy. It ensures that elected officials are accountable to their constituents and that electoral processes remain fair and transparent. Recognizing the potential of technology to enhance this transparency, I support real-time disclosure of campaign finance contributions and expenditures.
The Need for Immediate Transparency
Historically, there has been a significant delay between when campaign transactions occur and when they are reported to the public. This delay prevents voters from having timely access to information that might influence their electoral decisions and perceptions of candidates. Immediate transparency helps mitigate mistrust and skepticism, ensuring the political process is as open and honest as the public demands.
Reasoning
It is 2024, and there is NO REASON why it takes a month for campaign finance reports to go public. If a campaign is unable to disclose contributions in real-time or at least near-real-time, I question if they are capable of handling the office they either hold or are running for.
My Proposal
I propose that all campaigns instantly report their campaign finance contributions, expenditures, and bank account balances continuously, as they occur.
Again, as this is 2024, the vast majority of campaign contributions are online. Each of the major donation platforms, ActBlue (Democrats only), WinRed (Trumpers only), and Anedot (Everyone), report transactions as soon as they happen.
To the Legal Issue
The FEC has strict compliance and reporting requirements surrounding campaign finances. To meet these requirements, there are numerous campaign finance reporting solutions out there such as NGPvan, RedCurve Solutions, & ISPolitical, to name a few. They all have their benefits, but they don't disclose donations as they happen.
There are always modifications like contribution refunds or donor info updates; however, they can be reported in the official FEC reports. By reporting data instantly but only being "held accountable" for the official reports, campaigns can take the time to properly adjust/refund/describe the items which need a little more attention.
For Example:
Say someone really likes what I am promoting and donates $2500 with their home address and then donates another $1000 with their work address (another credit card). Donation platforms won't catch this immediately and the donation will successfully process. In this case, I will refund $200 to the individual as the max allowable contribution is $3,200.
If I did not refund that $200, I would be in violation of campaign finance law. So, to keep the lawyers happy and also report donations as they happen, campaigns are only held accountable for the officially submitted reports. This allows campaigns to report live data as it comes in without creating a massive compliance/legal bottleneck to monitor the public data.
SunBeam: A Technological Solution
To show how easy this is, I'm instantly reporting my campaign finances with SunBeam. The name is a play-off of the fine work done by the Sunlight Foundation and takes the vibe of OpenSecrets. All of my campaign donations are instantly reported.
SunBeam is an example of leveraging technology to provide real-time transparency in campaign finances. While it currently operates with platforms such as Anedot, WinRed, and ActBlue, its application could be broadened to include any campaign fundraising platform. The code for SunBeam has been open-sourced under the AGPL-3.0 license, allowing anyone to verify its workings and contribute improvements, thus embodying the principles of transparency it seeks to promote. Anyone can use this code, free of charge, for whatever they want.
For more details of how it works, see the GitHub repo.
HenselForCongressIs the code perfect, no. However, it is working and a great starting point.
Implementing Real-Time Transparency
The implementation of real-time finance transparency through technology like SunBeam is straightforward. The system collects and displays data from fundraising platforms almost instantaneously, providing an "unofficial" but timely glimpse into the financial pulse of campaigns. While these data are subject to formal review before official reporting to bodies like the Federal Election Commission (FEC), they offer an invaluable snapshot to the electorate, enhancing the democratic process.
Benefits of Real-Time Transparency
- Empowers Voters: Voters have access to timely information, empowering them to make informed decisions based on current data.
- Promotes Accountability: Immediate transparency compels candidates to maintain clean financial practices, as any discrepancy becomes instantly visible.
- Strengthens Democracy: An open and transparent campaign finance system strengthens the foundation of democracy by ensuring that all actions are open to public scrutiny.
- Encourages Political Engagement: When voters feel confident that they have clear and immediate insights into the financial workings of campaigns, their trust increases, encouraging greater political engagement and participation.
The push for real-time campaign finance transparency is about more than just making data available sooner; it’s about fostering a deeper trust in the political process and ensuring that all campaign finance activities are conducted under the watchful eye of the electorate.
By adopting open-source solutions like SunBeam, we can move towards a system where transparency is not just a goal but a reality. This initiative represents a critical advancement in how democracy functions in the digital age, ensuring transparency and accountability are at the forefront of our electoral processes.