Dear Editor:

Many of us think clean elections began in Maine in 1996. Its concept to limit corruption began in 1884 when British historian Lord Acton observed that “Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

The international world is well aware that to avoid corruption clean elections must safeguard democracy through an education process that clearly defines corrupt power.  History has shown that corrupt elections result in poor governance.  Initiatives of Change International notes the strong connection between corruption and violence — a negative side effect.

To safeguard and strengthen democracy many countries have established clean election campaigns. Publicly funded clean election legislation has been adopted in Maine, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, Arizona, North Carolina, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Massachusetts. We all seek to keep our elections publicly funded and free - free of bribery and corruption, free of violence, free of lies, and free of intimidation.  Elections need to be fair, honest, accurate, informative and transparent in voting reports.  One legislative Act - “Help America Vote Act (HAVA)” created a $3.8 billion pot of money resulting in $100 million of insecure, unreliable and inaccurate voting machines since there is no voter-verifiable paper audit trail.  Random Illinois audits have proven inadequate.  Since the Supreme Court Citizens United 2010 decision, concern about election corruption has increased in the US

We know that, for clean elections to be most effective, the public needs to be educated about how corruption can be identified, including deceptive practices, dishonest information against opponents and acts of violence during campaigns.  We know clean elections have reduced waste of money and provided voters with a larger group of candidates from which to choose.

What we don’t know is precisely why anyone would speak against a corruption free, fair, honest, accurate, informative and transparent voting system?

Jarryl Larson

Edgecomb