It’s an election year, which means we are going to hear an awful lot of talk, but very little action.
When candidates overstate their cases, we understand that hyperbole has long been an accepted part of the election process. So, as we consider which candidates are worthy of our votes, wise voters try to see beyond the talk to examine their actions.
That brings us to the subject of campaign finance reports. By Mississippi law, each candidate must file a report on his/her campaign donations and expenses at regular intervals.
To date, there have been two such reports that have been required, one for January through April and another for the month of May.
After examining the reports for both periods, it is clear that, more often than not, the reports are incomplete and inaccurate. And that’s just for the candidates who even bothered to turn in those reports by the required deadline.
So far, 19 reports from the 28 candidates for county office were not reported by the deadlines. Three candidates have failed to turn in reports for either reporting period.
For all their earnest talk about how much they want to serve the people, for all their chatter about the importance of being transparent, for all their insistence that open government is important, the candidates’ actions — if these reports are an indication — suggest something different.
What a candidate says may or may not be reliable. What a candidate does is plain to see and requires no guess-work.
It is hard to understand why candidates do not comply with this regulation. The forms are simple and do not require a great deal of time to complete. The report asks the candidate to list his/her campaign contributions and expenditures for the period, the amount of total contributions and expenditures to date and the amount of campaign cash on hand. Contributions of more than $200 require the candidate to provide the name, address and occupation of the donor.
That’s it.
By law, the state can fine candidates who do not turn in these reports $50 for each day they fail to report after the deadline. Once the candidate turns in that report, however, the fine is dismissed.
The only real consequence for failing to meet these requirements falls on the winning candidate. By Mississippi code, the winning candidate can not be certified or be paid until all reports have been filed.
That is hardly satisfying, though. Turning in these reports after the fact allows the candidate to ignore the rules. It renders the whole campaign finance requirement meaningless.
What’s more, if a candidate cannot perform such a simple task as filing out a report, why should we assume the candidate will be up to the challenges the office is sure to present?
Each month, The Dispatch publishes information on those reports. We suggest that you note which candidates haven’t bothered to follow the rules and turn in a report.
What they say is one thing. What they do is another.
A candidate who cannot or will not turn in a campaign finance report as the rules require is probably not worthy of your vote.
After all, we don’t elect people to talk. We elect them to do a job.
■ Editor’s note: An article and chart about campaign contributions and expenditures in Thursday’s Dispatch contained incorrect information about Lowndes County Circuit Clerk candidate Margie Canon. Canon filed a campaign finance report on June 10. That report indicated she had received $10,000 in campaign contributions between May 1 and May 31. We regret both errors.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.