"PROJECT POSITIVE CAMPAIGNING"
from the League of Women Voters, Rochester/MetropolitanArea
May 2000
The Project Positive Campaigning Committee, League of Women Voters, Rochester/Metropolitan
Area, came into existence in January, 1995, in response to the negative
campaigning that preceded the 1994 election. Since its formation, the
Committee's members have worked to promote positive political campaigning
and, at the same time, to encourage active participation of voters in
the political process.
Advice from an advertising agency and support from cosponsoring groups in
the community helped the Committee mount its first publicity campaign.
The goals of this campaign were to convince candidates that voters are
entitled to positive political campaigns and to convince voters to rebuke
candidates who are not acting in accordance with this entitlement.
Since 1995, the work of the PPC Committee promulgates the message
of positive campaigning. The Committee, along with The Interfaith Alliance,
sponsors the annual Candidates' Fair Campaign Pledge-Signing Ceremony
held at the Monroe County Office Building. Public Service Announcements
(produced for the Committee) on the subject of positive political campaigning
are aired on radio. The Committee has published thousands of brochures,
buttons, bookmarks, bumper stickers, each advertising the message of
positive campaigning. Signs with this message decorated Rochester's
buses during the 1996-1998 fall elections. Committee members are guests
on radio and television talk shows and make presentations to community
groups and high school classrooms.
In 1998, the PPC Committee produced a 20-minute video entitled YOU CAN VOTE
SMARTER. The video comprises television advertisements of real political
candidates in recent elections. A discussion guide accompanies the video.
Video and guide are designed particularly for middle and high school
students.
On October 4, 1999, the Committee premiered its latest, and most exciting,
project. KEEP IT CLEAN! is a 30-second television ad produced in conjunction
with Saphar & Associates, Inc., a public relations and marketing
communications agency, and Post Central, a production company. Saphar
donated its services to create and direct the ad. In August, PPC received
grant money, $15,000. from Rochester Area Community Foundation; the
grant enabled PPC to purchase broadcast time on the major network channels
and Time Warner before the 1999 November election.
The striking visuals and forceful message of Keep It Clean! draw voters'
attention to the subject of positive campaigning
Looking ahead to the 2000 election, PPC members will ask broadcasters in
the Rochester area to show the ad as a PSA before the 2000 election.
In May, letters were sent from New York State League to 130 or so network
and cable stations in New York State. The letter, containing personal
endorsements of the ad and news about the Telly Award, encourages broadcasters
around the state to show the ad before November's election. A VHS copy
of the ad was enclosed with each letter. A radio version of the ad will
be completed in May 2000.
As the 2000 election season moves forward, the Committee calls again upon
candidates to commit themselves to fair campaign tactics and appeals
again to voters to reject negative campaign tactics. Voters benefit
when candidates discuss the issues rather than engage in personal attacks.
Negative campaign tactics hold voters back from the truth and turn voters
off to voting. Negative campaign tactics damage the election process
and, ultimately, our democratic system of government.
Contact: Shirley Eberly
Rochester Metro's Project Positive Campaign products are available
through the NY League office: phone: 518-465-4162, fax: 518-465-0812,
e-mail: lwvny@lwvny.org, website: www.lwvny.org
"Clean It Up...Keep It Clean" video with dramatic 10 & 30 second
television ads are $25 for members, $35 for non-members for VCR tape/
$75/$85 for 3/4 inch tape.
You CAN Vote Smarter" 20 min Video and Discussion Guide is $25/$35 for
non-members
Positive Campaign Brochure is $.15/ $.25
"Support Positive Campaigns" Buttons are $1/$2
"Support Positive Campaigns With Your Vote"
"The League of Women Voters" Bumper stickers are $1/$2
"Support Positive Campaigns with your Vote" bookmarks are $1/$2
A SAMPLE FAIR
CAMPAIGN PRACTICES PLEDGE
I pledge to conduct my campaign for public office openly and fairly.
I will discuss the issues and participate in fair public debate with
respect to my views and qualifications.
I will not engage in, nor permit defamatory attack upon, the character
of my opponent(s) nor shall I engage in unwarranted invasions of personal
privacy unrelated to campaign issues.
I shall not appeal to, and I shall condemn appeals to, prejudice based
on race, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, or political
affiliation.
I will not permit the use of any campaign material or advertisement which
misrepresents, distorts, or otherwise falsifies the facts regarding
my record or that of any other candidate.
Finally, I will publicly repudiate support deriving from any individual
or group whose activities would violate this Fair Campaign Practices
Pledge.
In signing this pledge, I assume personal control and responsibility
for the conduct of my campaign
SAFEGUARDS
IN USING THE PLEDGE
from Eleanor Revelle,
LWVUS Board
August 1, 1998
Enforcing a Fair Campaign Pledge is hazardous ground for the League, which
must avoid being seen as supporting or opposing any candidate. In my
view, the best role for the League is to help citizens hold candidates
accountable for their actions.
1) The legal implications for involvement in a campaign conduct project
are very different for an organization designated by the IRS as a 501(c)(3)
organization (e.g. an education fund) and for one that is classified
as a 501(c)(4) organization (e.g. a state or local League).
A 501(c)(3) organization is absolutely prohibited from participating in
any activity that could be seen as directly or indirectly benefiting
one candidate over another. The IRS has interpreted this prohibition
on "electioneering" so broadly that even unforeseen, unintended benefits
resulting from activities that are strictly nonpartisan could cause
the organization to lose its tax exempt status.
Asking a candidate to sign a campaign code of conduct, publicizing the names
of candidates who have signed, or not signed, a campaign pledge, and
monitoring or reporting on whether candidates are honoring a campaign
pledge are all activities that could be interpreted as intervening in
an election and are therefore inappropriate for a 501(c)(3) organization.
2) As 501(c)(4) organizations, state and local Leagues are not bound by
this prohibition on electioneering and may undertake campaign conduct
projects - with caution. Both 501(c)(4) Leagues and 501(c)(3) Ed Funds
are stewards of the League's nonpartisan reputation. State or local
Leagues that make use of campaign pledges, therefore, will want to structure
their projects very carefully to avoid being seen as supporting or opposing
any candidate(s). In addition, Leagues should ensure that no Ed Fund
money is used for these projects.
3) There are some campaign code-related activities that are appropriate
for both 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations. These include drafting
a code of conduct, fostering public awareness of the code, encouraging
citizens to hold candidates accountable for their campaign conduct,
and making a general call to all candidates to consider the code in
their daily campaigning. (The Rochester, NY League's Project Positive
Campaigning puts this kind of emphasis on engaging citizens in promoting
fair, issue-oriented campaigns.)
4) The legal and public relations issues involved in a campaign code project
are considerable. Any League that is contemplating such a project is
strongly advised to consult with an attorney who is knowledgeable in
the area of election and tax law.
Q & A on
Fair Campaign Pledges
Q: May our League Education Fund draft a code of conduct, publicize
the code, encourage citizens to hold candidates accountable for their
campaign conduct, and make a general call to all candidates to
consider the code in their daily campaigning?
A: Yes, those would all be appropriate activities for a League Education
Fund, but it cannot ask candidates to sign a pledge to follow the
code of conduct or take any action if a candidate violates the code.
The LWVEF board was advised several years ago that asking candidates
to sign a code of conduct or publishing information about whether candidates
did, or did not, sign such a code could be interpreted as intervening
in an election. A 501(c)(3) organization, such as a League Education
Fund, is prohibited absolutely from participating in such activities.
Legal guidelines developed by the Alliance for Better Campaigns echo this
position, noting that a 501(c)(3) organization "may never publicize,
compare, criticize, praise, complement, or otherwise comment on individual
candidates who have or have not signed a code of conduct. . . [It]
may not assess or report on whether candidates are honoring the code.
Likewise, it may not publicize the charges of other candidates or members
of the public or any candidate's response to charges of violation."
Q: Could the League itself ask the candidates to sign the pledge
and publicize the names of those who do sign the pledge?
A: A 501(c)(4) entity like a state or local League is not bound
by the IRS prohibition on electioneering. So yes, technically, a state
or local League could ask candidates to sign the pledge and publicize
the names of those who do sign it.
Q: Can the League (not the EF) take action when there are violations of
the pledge? If so, what kind of action?
A: By the same token, a 501(c)(4) state or local League is not prohibited
from taking action if a candidate violates the pledge. Your second question,
however, describes just why such action could be problematic for the
League. While reporting a code violation could pass muster legally,
this would be a subtle point for the public - especially during the
election season when citizens are counting on "the League" to be an
unimpeachable source of objective information about all candidates.
Separating the activities of the League and the EF on this might keep us
legally in the clear, but would probably be too subtle for the public,
although we say Ed Fund on our Voters Guide, in press releases about
DNet, candidates night, etc. Both the local papers and the public generally
refers to them as "League of Women Voters."
