Kansans should rise up in support of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission’s efforts to reform campaign finance laws.

State ethics officials said last week they plan to pursue changes in the current state law to require quicker reporting of campaign contributions and more disclosure on who is financing so-called “issue ads” that don’t directly endorse a candidate. One avenue of reform might be to require electronic filing of campaign contributions right up until the election so the public would have access to more information about who is backing certain candidates.

Many concerns were raised after the Aug. 3 primary when significant amounts of money were spent on advertising and direct mail campaigns to influence Republican races. Although it appears that hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent in those efforts, Kansans won’t know where that money came from until Oct. 25 when campaign reports must be filed.

Kansas residents need only observe what’s happening in the current presidential campaign to recognize the need for reform. Not only is it difficult to track who is financing various advertising efforts, it is becoming increasingly difficult to assess which claims are truthful and which are dangerously slanted. The least Kansas should do for its voters is to try to provide timely campaign financial reports that allow Kansans to form their own opinions.

Unfortunately, smart political operatives consistently seem to find a way around about any campaign finance regulation. If they bend the law to their advantage or even flout it outright, they won’t be punished until after the polls close. If their candidate has been elected, any penalty they may face will pale in comparison to the success of the campaign.

That shouldn’t, however, cause groups like the state ethics commission to throw up its hands and quit trying. Voters in Kansas and across the nation deserve elections that are clean and fair and every effort should be made to pull them in that direction.

The current contentious climate also places additional responsibility on those whose names appear on the ballot to try to control groups that would use false information or underhanded campaign tactics in the name of supporting one candidate over another. Hopefully, it’s not a futile pursuit to ask candidates to display this kind of honor and integrity.

Money and power always have been part of our election system. Trying to put voter interests ahead of the power and money is a difficult task but one we must continue to pursue. Changes in state law that would provide more timely and complete information about campaign funding would be a concrete step in that direction.