Voting, Elections, and Campaign Finance

Introduction 

Every state in the US takes pride in having a government that can control the voting, elections, and campaign finance. Ideally, the only way through which citizens in a country can voice their grievances is through the voting process. Immediately after voting, citizens give their elected leaders the responsibility of ensuring that the government is run in accordance with the leaders' agendas and promises. Additionally, elections determine whether a country can be termed politically stable. In case a country is termed as politically unstable, there is a likelihood to end up suffering economically as most countries may avoid getting into any kind of economic agreement with the said country. Therefore, voting, elections, and campaign finance are areas where the government should focus its attention. This study seeks to detail how the government is involved in regulating the fore-stated areas, especially in Hawaii, California, and Washington states. Moreover, this study will examine diverse elective positions regarding the issue of redistricting. 

Hawaii 

Hawaii as a federal state of the United States has enacted voting policies to ensure that voters are well-informed about their voting rights and responsibilities. Notably, the voting policies comprise early voting provisions, voter identification requirements, and online voter registration systems; these are all used to govern the terms under which American citizens can vote in Hawaii state. First, an individual can only register as a voter in Hawaii if they are citizens of the United States and residents of the Hawaii state (State of Hawaii, n.d). The registration can be completed through : submission of the registration form or visiting the office of the county clerk or visiting the Department of Motor Vehicles. Secondly, the Hawaii state has a website through which online voters can effectively register in various categories in elections. The state also has a timeframe for which polling stations are opened. Primarily, the polls are opened from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Hawaii has a clearly defined electoral system. For instance, officials are elected in their respective offices as either multi-winner or single-winner systems. These systems have unique requirements distinct from each other. First, a single-winner system dictates that only one candidate can be elected into an office, such as the President of the United States. On the other hand, a multi-winner system demands that multiple candidates can hold office, for instance, council seats (State of Hawaii2, n.d). Besides, there are various ways of tallying votes in determining electoral outcomes based on the system used. On the one hand, for single-winner system methods, there is plurality voting system in which the candidate with the most share of votes is declared as the winner. On the other hand, the majority voting system requires a candidate to win not less than 50% of the votes cast to be declared as the winner. Lastly, the single-winner ranked-choice system is one in which a candidate is declared as the winner based on their preference on the ballots in accordance with the voters ’ rank of candidates (State of Hawaii2, n.d) . For multi-winner system methods, there exists a block voting system in which a voter can choose as many candidates as are open seats. Another method is the single voting system in which a voter is permitted to choose one candidate, notwithstanding the number of open seats available. Lastly, there is the cumulative voting system in which every voter can cast votes that equal the number of slots available for the election (State of Hawaii2, n.d) . Importantly, Hawaii has a public financing program known as the matching funds program (NCSL, n.d). The program demands that the candidates’ funding match to a certain amount in relation to the state's provided matching fund. For instance, in Hawaii, the legislature has an already set limitation for expenditures and contributions, and it is through this limitation that candidates are advised to follow while controlling their funding (NCSL, n.d). 

California 

California, like Hawaii state, has voting policies which are enforced at the state level. The voting policies dictate the terms under which American citizens are permitted to cast their ballots in their respective states. These policies are made up of online voter registration, early voting provisions, and voter identification requirements (DMV.ORG, 2019). The government uses the fore-stated policies to ensure that voting happens in accordance with the set laws. Fundamentally, in California, the state government regulates the voting; the only individuals allowed to vote are those who have attained a minimum of 18 years on the election day (DMV.ORG, 2019). Moreover, the state allows for early voting, online voter registration, and no-excuse absentee voting. Polls, on the other hand, are required to open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Finally, voters are granted an option of not presenting identification at the polls. 

Other than voting, the government has clearly outlined requirements for the electoral system in California whereby state legislators and state executives can only be elected in single-winner contests through plurality vote (Myers, 2018). The president of the United States is elected through a single-winner system. Like most states' way of determining winners such as senators and representatives, congressional contests winners are determined through the plurality vote. Notably, California is renowned for being a national leader in the promotion of fairness and transparency in elections (FPPC, n.d). For this reason, it has the Political Reform Act which demands that committees and candidates file their campaign statements in accordance with the specified deadlines while disclosing expenditures made and contributions made. A general-purpose committee, a candidate's campaign committee, a major donor, a slate mailer organization, or entity associated with the making of independent expenditures are all subjects to the Act (FPPC, n.d). The Act also specifies individuals who qualify to be part of the committee. First, for the recipient committee, they can only receive political contributions worth $ 2,000 or above per year. Secondly, the independent expenditure committee is required to make a minimum of $ 1, 000 per year (FPPC, n.d). Lastly, the major donor committee is required to make a minimum of $ 10, 000 per year at the request of ballot measures of California candidates (FPPC, n.d). 

Washington 

The government regulates that anyone interested in voting in Washington should be above 18 years of age, be a resident of Washington, and above all prove to be a citizen of the United States (The Secretary of State2, n.d). Additionally, the state allows for online voter registration and is among the three states that have permitted the use of a vote-by-mail system for any kind of election. The provision of vote-by-mail eliminates the need for identification. However, any individual who is interested in registering as a voter may register online, in-person at a county elections department, or through the mail. Further, Washington state has a provision of online registration where voters can register through a provided website (The Secretary of State, n.d). During poll times, Washington state does not have polling points since it is a mail-in ballot state. Thus, county election officials are mandated with providing information about election offices. Convicted felons do not enjoy voting rights as dictated by the sentencing terms and can only be restored after an individual completes their sentence. 

Most of the activities pertaining to elections in Washington state happen online; the government governs this process by securing most of the important systems such as the Washington Elections Information (WEI) system and the Voter Registration Databases (The Secretary of State, n.d). For instance, the Elections Results Site is meant to provide geographic and server redundancy through the host (Microsoft's Azure cloud). Through the host, WEI can retrieve the results data at specified intervals. 

Washington state has a campaign finance body which is mandated with governing the amount of money that candidates may receive from organizations and individuals, the intervals the concerned parties should report the number of contributions received, and the amount that political parties, organizations, and individuals may contribute to campaigns (The Secretary of State, n.d). Essentially, the campaign finance laws apply to nonprofit and third-party organizations seeking to influence elections through issue advocacy or independent expenditures. Washington state describes a candidate as one who can raise or spend money, reserve space, buy advertising, file a declaration of candidacy form, or make a public announcement (NCSL, n.d). Additionally, the candidate's committee is required to file an organizational statement with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission. Besides, there is a need for Statement of Organization, Organization requirements, Reporting requirements (Personal Financial Affairs Statement, Candidate Registration, Cash Receipts, and Campaign Summary Report) (The Secretary of State, n.d). 

Similarities and Differences 

In all three states, people eligible for elections should be citizens of the United States, be 18 years of age and above, and be a resident of either of the states. Additionally, presidential slots winners are determined by a single-winner system. Every state has a body that is meant to govern the campaign finance that candidates or organizations use during the campaign period. However, the main difference that exists in the three is that Washington state has a provision for vote-by-mail through which polling stations are not required. For Hawaii and California, eligible citizens are required to be in their polling stations at different times. For instance, Hawaii residents are required to be in their polling stations between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. while California residents are required to be in their stations from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Redistricting and Elections 

Redistricting involves the process of drawing new state and congressional legislative boundaries (Mann, O'Brien & Persily, 2011)After redistricting, Hawaii, California, and the Washington States had a share of their state legislators and the United States Representatives. For instance, Hawaii had 76 state legislators and 2 United States Representatives (United States House of Representatives, n.d). California, on the other hand, had 120 state legislators and 53 United States Representatives while Washington had 123 state legislators and 10 United States Representatives (United States House of Representatives, n.d). As a result of redistricting, federal and state legislative positions, judicial and local, have also been redistricted. 

Redistricting plays an important role in elections. First, it ensures that all groups are politically engaged, thus giving them a chance to be equally involved in the political process (NAACP, 2010). As a result of redistricting, most citizens feel encouraged to register, vote, and voice their concerns (NAACP, 2010). Therefore, through the collective political participation of every group in the political affairs, the elections are determined by how well a certain leader intends to be involved with the affairs of the relevant group. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, every state has set regulations that govern the voting process. For instance, as seen in Hawaii, California, and Washington, eligible voters should be citizens of the United States, have attained the age of 18 years, and prove to be residents of the respective states. In addition, there are systems, single-winner and multi-winner, used to determine the winner of an election in each category. Concisely, there is a body designated to handle and oversee issues concerning the amount of money received from contributors and spent during the campaigns in each state. 

References 

DMV.ORG. (2019). Voter Registration in California . Retrieved from www.dmv.org/ca-california/voter-registration.php 

FPPC. (n.d). Campaign Rules . Retrieved from www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/campaign-rules.html 

Mann, T. E., O'Brien, S. & Persily, N. (2011). Redistricting and the United States Constitution. Brookings. Retrieved from www.brookings.edu/on-the-record/redistricting-and-the-united-states-constitution/ 

Myers, J. (2018). California's free-for-all primary election rules could surprise everyone in 2018 ... again. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-top-two-primary-changes-analysis-20180319-story.html 

NAACP. (2010). The Impact of Redistricting in Your Community. Collaborative Redistricting Guide. Retrieved from funderscommittee.org/files/Collaborative_RedistrictingGuide_2.pdf 

NCSL. (n.d). Overview of State Laws on Public Financing . Retrieved from www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/public-financing-of-campaigns-overview.aspx 

State of Hawaii. (n.d). Voting in Hawaii . Retrieved from elections.hawaii.gov/voters/voting-in-hawaii-guide/ 

State of Hawaii2. (n.d). Election Day Information . Retrieved from elections.hawaii.gov/frequently-asked-questions/election-day-information/

The Secretary of State. (n.d). System Security . Retrieved from www.sos.wa.gov/elections/system-security.aspx 

The Secretary of State2. (n.d). Voter Eligibility . Retrieved from www.sos.wa.gov/elections/voter-eligibility.aspx 

United States House of Representatives. (n.d). Directory of Representatives . Retrieved from www.house.gov/representatives