Fraud is any attempt to mislead voters or qualify a ballot measure in ways that skirt the integrity of the system. Any attempt by circulators, the firms that hire them, or the sponsors of an initiative to surreptitiously deny either petition signers or voters forthright and detailed information is a subversion of direct democracy.
The Background of Ballot Measure Fraud
Over the past six years, BISC has seen a dramatic increase in the use of signature gathering fraud and deception by initiative campaign committees and the vendors they hire to qualify initiatives for the ballot.
In fact, at every step of the way throughout the ballot initiative process, citizens are being subjected to abuse, fraud and deception--misleading and deceptive ballot language is often submitted, there are widespread cases of citizens being lied to during the signature gathering phase, and voters are being asked to make decisions about amending their state laws by people who may have themselves broken the law to propose the initiative.
Perhaps most troubling is the fact that many, if not all, initiative states provide little or no transparency, accountability, and oversight of the process. Even worse, the people advancing changes to state laws--the petition circulators who collect signatures necessary to qualify an initiative for the ballot, the paid signature gathering vendors who often times come from out of state to work on changing a state law, and the campaign committees--are rarely held responsible for the actions of the people they employ.
BISC is continuing our efforts to shine a spotlight on the problems that exist and the need for states to take action and implement common sense reforms to restore integrity to an important process that helps create the foundation of our democracy.
We have examined all 24 states that support the initiative process and created a Ballot Integrity Report Card that rates each state on what it currently does and more importantly, does not do to protect the integrity of the ballot initiative process at every step in the system.
We have also provided a blueprint for reform that can help states move forward and take much needed action. Only by implementing solutions to the problems that exist will states be able to provide people with a ballot measure process that works for voters instead of against them.
Why Should We Care About Fraud?
Americans deserve a citizen initiative process that serves them. Unfortunately, the twenty four states that provide citizens with the opportunity for direct democracy are letting special interests and corrupt signature gathering firms highjack and take advantage of a broken system badly in need of fundamental reform.
Every election cycle, voters are asked to weigh in on hundreds of initiatives and referendums. In fact, over the last ten years citizens across the country have voted on over 1,500 initiatives and referenda with well over a one billion dollars raised and spent on the passage or defeat of issues that have a real impact on people’s lives. In recent years, in state after state, the integrity of the system has been increasingly undermined by a lack of standards, transparency, accountability, and oversight and enforcement.
Citizens, their state laws, and constitutions deserve better.
