The Nomination and Campaign Finance Division of Howard County is responsible for ensuring that all campaigns and ballot measures are conducted in accordance with the law. This includes restrictions on who can serve as a campaign manager or consultant for these campaigns or ballot measures. Young voters are often neglected in elections, with turnout rates that are usually 20 to 30 points lower than older voters. This is especially true in midterm, state, and local elections.
As a result, our democracy fails to accurately reflect the voices of young people. The main issue in the case of Howard County was whether the county itself had the authority to participate in a political campaign. The county executive allocated funds to the County Public Information Office to inform voters about the impact of a law and advocate for its confirmation. This effort was managed by Patrick Lacefield, director of the County Public Information Office.
The petitioners argued that this violated Articles 405, 406, and 408 of the County Charter, § 19A-14 (a), (c), (e), and (f) of the County Code, and County Personnel Regulations 3—8 (b) and (d). The court ultimately concluded that the county had the inherent power to use properly allocated funds for a governmental purpose, such as promoting a nonpartisan bill related to the county police force. Article 405 of the County Charter states that no county official or employee shall be obligated to contribute to a political campaign or to provide political service. This means that any campaign manager or consultant must not be a county official or employee.
In addition, California Government Code § 19A-14 (a), (c), (e), and (f) prohibits local agencies from making illegal expenditures in support of or opposition to a bill or to the election of a candidate. This means that any campaign manager or consultant must not be employed by a local agency. Furthermore, it is important to note that any campaign manager or consultant must not be involved in partisan politics. This means that they cannot advocate for any particular candidate or party.
In conclusion, there are several restrictions on who can serve as a campaign manager or consultant for campaigns or ballot measures in Howard County. These restrictions include not being a county official or employee, not being employed by a local agency, and not being involved in partisan politics.
