Community Corner

Poll: Can Election Fairness, Integrity Be Assured by Susan Davis Bill?

House member in 53rd District says bill would avert conflicts of interest that threaten votes.

U.S. Rep. Susan Davis—who represents La Mesa, Lemon Grove and many southeastern San Diego communities—has re-introduced legislation that would prohibit top state election officials from taking part in federal campaigns.

It’s called the Federal Election Integrity Act, and would bar a chief election official of a state from serving on federal campaign committees or engaging in other political activity on behalf of federal candidates in any election over which the official has supervisory authority. 

“Imagine if someone could be both the coach and the referee in a game,” Davis said in a statement.  “That would certainly not be fair.  So why would we then allow one person to both officiate an election and chair a candidate’s federal campaign committee? 

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“Someone who has a vested interest in a federal campaign should not also be able to oversee an election in which that candidate runs. Congress needs to take this long-overdue step to restore the faith of the American people in the election system.”

She says recent elections have brought examples of leading state election officials with “disturbing conflicts of interest.” Some have labeled such efforts voter suppression.

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In 2010, the House passed the Election Integrity Act on a bipartisan vote of 296-129. The Senate failed to act on the bill before the end of the 111th Congress.

Should the 113th Congress finish the job, or is this an unwanted federal effort to muddle in state affairs?


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