Timing of expense reports an issue

With only two weeks after nonjudicial filing covered by the first campaign finance reporting period, the report is not that useful to voters seeking information on primary candidates.

Candidates are required to submit their campaign contribution and expense forms by April 15 for the first three months of the year.

Back in those long-ago days when election filing started on Jan. 1 for everyone, that made some sort of sense and still does for judicial hopefuls.

But with filing ending on the ides of March and the first quarter reporting period ending on March 31, it’s pretty easy for a candidate to delay contributors until after April 1, keeping their cards hidden.

By the time the July 15 reporting period rolls around in counties with a significant majority in one major party or the other the race will essentially be over.

There isn’t much public polling going on in Douglas, so campaign finance reports are helpful in figuring out who’s backing whom.

Without a real amount of time for that information to be available to voters, we’re left observing who has allowed candidates to place signs on their property as a rough gauge.

Meanwhile, Minden Town Board members will get an early opportunity to cast a vote in the general election tonight.

Among the candidates seeking appointment to the seat previously held by Susan Jackson is former Community Development Director Mimi Moss. Moss is on the November ballot for the town board, as is board member Steve Thaler and former School Board trustee Robbe Lehmann. There isn’t any rule against Moss applying, and we have no idea how that’ll turn out.

While doing the research on Don Stangle, we came across a note in Editor Steve Falcone’s Jan. 7, 1988, column talking about The R-C’s election letters policy.

“It is long-time R-C policy … that political candidates cannot use the Letters column as a campaign tool.”

That’s still true today and extends to entire campaigns. If donations and campaign signs are an indication of a robust campaign, surely advertising would contribute to that reputation, as well.