Issue Position: Transparent Elections

Issue Position

Tim Toomey is a life-long supporter of transparent campaign finance laws and greater access to the ballot. Throughout his career in the state legislature, he has fought to make the democratic process more accessible to young people and has fought against the right's efforts to disenfranchise low-income voters through unnecessary voter ID laws.

Election Reform

In May of 2012, Tim cast his vote in favor of a comprehensive election law reform bill that will expand pre-registration to more youth voters, allow voters to print registration forms online and mail them in, and will require the Secretary of State to administer comprehensive post-election audits to ensure the accuracy of electronic voting machines. He was a co-sponsor of a youth preregistration bill that was included in the final bill passed by the House, and has taken the lead in supporting youth voting and involvement. In 2002, he sponsored one of the first bills that would have extend suffrage to 17 year-olds who wish to vote in municipal elections.

Campaign Finance

Tim has also taken strong stances on the issues of campaign finance and disclosure. This year, he has been active in working with his colleagues to reverse some of the problems that the Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court decision has created. He has been working to secure the passage of a bill that will require corporations to disclose any independent expenditures that they make when attempting to influence elections in Massachusetts. These types of expenditures were not previously subject to disclosure laws because they were illegal prior to Citizens United.

Furthermore, Tim has voiced his support for S.772, a Resolution filed by Sen. Jamie Eldridge that calls for Congress to begin the process of amending the Unites States Constitution to reverse the damage that the Citizens United decision has already inflicted on our democracy. For more information about Tim's stance on Citizens United, you can read his op-ed here and his letter of support for S.772 here.

For anyone who may be interested in the campaign contributions that Tim has received, or how Tim has spent his money campaigning, please visit his page at the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

In an unprecedented step to further the transparency and accountability of his campaign for State Representative, Tim has released his past three federal and state tax returns to the public. He is committed to serving with the utmost integrity, running a positive, issues-based campaign, and providing voters with the information they need to make an informed choice on November 6th.

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