The Platform of the Massachusetts Democratic Party
PART IX: POLITICAL PARTICIPATION & REFORM

Clean Elections.

We believe that to ensure equal representation and to restore public faith in our democracy, we must act to curtail the influence of special interest money on our political process. To help accomplish our goals of political reform, we call for the complete implementation and the full funding from general revenues of the Clean Elections System, in a fashion consistent with voter intent in approving this initiative. We recognize that aspects of this legislation give rise to legitimate concerns, difficulties, and differences of opinion and we support continuing efforts to resolve these. We endorse such proposals as enhance the workability of the System and the likelihood of candidate participation, and which are consistent with voter intent. Among these is full public funding for the legitimate costs of serving constituents as an elected legislator, separate from public funding for the Clean Elections System and supplanting expenditures that currently must be made from campaign accounts.

National Campaign Finance Reform.

We support federal campaign finance reforms that act to limit campaign spending, remove the influence of large-donor contributions, end the soft money system, and create a level playing field for candidates and voters. We endorse the McCain-Feingold Bill and urge its approval by Congress. We reaffirm our support for voluntary systems of comprehensive public financing for qualified candidates paired to campaign spending limits. We support proposals to increase communication between candidates and voters through access to free television time, reduced postage rates, and other means that may be deemed appropriate.

Ballot Access.

We believe the right to vote is made meaningful only when joined with access to the ballot. We note recent events in Florida and elsewhere that again demonstrate how flawed procedures can result in unjust discrimination among voters on the basis of race, national origin, age or other characteristics, and can create needless uncertainty around outcomes. We strongly support efforts like the Motor Voter law that ease potential barriers to registration and voting and encourage maximum public participation. We call on the Commonwealth to make usability by persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and others a criterion in the purchase of new voting equipment, and we seek the strongest possible enforcement of existing laws to ensure full and equal access to the ballot and polling places.

Representation.

We support efforts to ensure the most accurate possible count of all Americans through the decennial Census. We believe that these data are critical to the fair and representative distribution of Congressional and Legislative districts, and to appropriate apportionment of government benefits and responsibilities among the states of the nation and the communities of the Commonwealth. We oppose attempts in Congress to replace actuarial methods advocated by non-partisan professionals of the U.S. Census Bureau with calculations based on political party advantage.

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The Platform of the Massachusetts Democratic Party PART IX: POLITICAL PARTICIPATION & REFORM Clean Elections. We believe that to ensure equal representation and to restore public faith in our democracy, we must act to curtail the influence of special interest money on our political process. To help accomplish our goals of political reform, we call for the complete implementation and the full funding from general revenues of the Clean Elections System, in a fashion consistent with voter intent in approving this initiative. We recognize that aspects of this legislation give rise to legitimate concerns, difficulties, and differences of opinion and we support continuing efforts to resolve these. We endorse such proposals as enhance the workability of the System and the likelihood of candidate participation, and which are consistent with voter intent. Among these is full public funding for the legitimate costs of serving constituents as an elected legislator, separate from public funding for the Clean Elections System and supplanting expenditures that currently must be made from campaign accounts. National Campaign Finance Reform. We support federal campaign finance reforms that act to limit campaign spending, remove the influence of large-donor contributions, end the soft money system, and create a level playing field for candidates and voters. We endorse the McCain-Feingold Bill and urge its approval by Congress. We reaffirm our support for voluntary systems of comprehensive public financing for qualified candidates paired to campaign spending limits. We support proposals to increase communication between candidates and voters through access to free television time, reduced postage rates, and other means that may be deemed appropriate. Ballot Access. We believe the right to vote is made meaningful only when joined with access to the ballot. We note recent events in Florida and elsewhere that again demonstrate how flawed procedures can result in unjust discrimination among voters on the basis of race, national origin, age or other characteristics, and can create needless uncertainty around outcomes. We strongly support efforts like the Motor Voter law that ease potential barriers to registration and voting and encourage maximum public participation. We call on the Commonwealth to make usability by persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and others a criterion in the purchase of new voting equipment, and we seek the strongest possible enforcement of existing laws to ensure full and equal access to the ballot and polling places. Representation. We support efforts to ensure the most accurate possible count of all Americans through the decennial Census. We believe that these data are critical to the fair and representative distribution of Congressional and Legislative districts, and to appropriate apportionment of government benefits and responsibilities among the states of the nation and the communities of the Commonwealth. We oppose attempts in Congress to replace actuarial methods advocated by non-partisan professionals of the U.S. Census Bureau with calculations based on political party advantage. Mass Scorecard Home Page Mass Senate Scorecard Mass House Scorecard Describe all Senate votes Describe all House votes Mass Scorecard Videos Mass Democratic Party Platforms
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The Platform of the Massachusetts Democratic Party PART IX: POLITICAL PARTICIPATION & REFORM

Clean Elections.

National Campaign Finance Reform.

Ballot Access.

Representation.

The Platform of the Massachusetts Democratic Party
PART IX: POLITICAL PARTICIPATION & REFORM