A former Arizona attorney general and a former Phoenix mayor are launching a campaign to bring elections reform to voters through a pair of ballot measures. The Open and Honest Elections Coalition is sponsoring a measure to increase disclosure requirements for groups contributing more than $10,000 to a political campaign and a second measure to put all Arizona candidates on a single primary ballot. Former Attorney General Terry Goddard and former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson are sponsoring the bi-partisan initiatives in conjunction with HighGround Inc., a political consulting and lobbying firm. The coalition’s goals are to limit the influence of dark money in Arizona elections and make it easier for Independents to get on the ballot.
“Very small, very partisan primaries and a siege of dark money have made a profound difference in Arizona politics, a difference that we seek to change today,” Goddard said Thursday during a Phoenix press conference announcing the campaign.
The coalition will need to collect nearly 226,000 valid signatures for each initiative in order to change the state Constitution and get on the ballot for the November elections.
The coalition has already received $1 million from an open primaries advocacy organization to start the campaign, but plans to raise $13 million over the course of the election cycle.
Full Article: Former attorney general launches Election Reform Initiatives.