The residents of Parker North, Colo., discovered this the hard way. In the midst of a debate about whether their tiny subdivision of about 300 homes should be annexed into the neighboring town of Parker, the supporters of annexation filed a campaign finance complaint against the six most vocal opponents, and threatened to go after anyone else with a yard sign opposing the annexation.

Individuals should not have to register with the government and comply with onerous regulations in order to talk about politics. Unfortunately, campaign finance laws are threatening to place simple political activism beyond the reach of anyone but professional politicians and campaigners. Left uncheck...

The residents of Parker North, Colo., discovered this the hard way. In the midst of a debate about whether their tiny subdivision of about 300 homes should be annexed into the neighboring town of Parker, the supporters of annexation filed a campaign finance complaint against the six most vocal opponents, and threatened to go after anyone else with a yard sign opposing the annexation.

Individuals should not have to register with the government and comply with onerous regulations in order to talk about politics. Unfortunately, campaign finance laws are threatening to place simple political activism beyond the reach of anyone but professional politicians and campaigners. Left unchecked, the day is coming when Americans will view the prospect of participating in the political process the same way they view filing their income tax returns—too much time, too much red tape, too much anxiety. In short, the more costly and difficult we make political speech, the less of it we will get. That is a tragedy in a nation whose people consider political speech and participation a birthright.