Voter-Owned Elections in Legislative Races

 

It’s time to test Voter-Owned Elections for N.C. legislative races

 

    ·   The pressure on legislative candidates to raise money continues to rise. The average amount spent on General Assembly races has jumped more than four-fold over the last decade.

 

    ·   Public financing provides an alternative to the money chase and rewards grassroots campaigning. It is essentially a “sweat equity” program that requires the candidate who gathers many small donations from registered voters in order to qualify for access to public funds.

 

    ·   The program is voluntary – no candidate is forced to participate.

 

    ·   A pilot program could involve several districts chosen by a super-majority vote of the Board of Elections, with recommendations from majority and minority leaders in the General Assembly

 

    ·   Funding for the program is voluntary. Money would come from taxpayer-designated funds, so taxpayers are not compelled to support the program or support a candidate they oppose.

 

 

Voter-Owned Elections is already working in North Carolina. 

 

    In the 2004 election: 

 

    ·  14 of 16 NC Court of Appeals and Supreme Court candidates tried to qualify for public funds

 

    ·  12 of the 16 candidates (including 4 of the 5 winners) qualified and received $1.5 million

 

    ·   4 million households received the Judicial Voter Guide about all 16 candidates

 

    In the 2006 election:

 

    ·   8 of 12 general election top-court candidates are certified (others tried, but did not qualify)

 

    ·   From $144,000 to $216,650 has been awarded to each candidate for the general elections

 

    ·   In the first case of rescue funds, a candidate got extra funds to match an opponent

 

Voter-Owned Elections is working in other states. 

 

    ·   In Arizona and Maine, a majority of Republican and Democratic legislative candidates now

         use VOE public-financing systems, which began in 2000

 

·         Connecticut’s legislature just adopted the program, and New Jersey has a pilot underway.

 

 

Bills to provide pilot program for legislative districts.

 

·         CLICK HERE for a summary of a bill providing public financing in a small number of legislative districts

 

·         CLICK HERE for the bill introduced in the House in 2007 for a legislative pilot program

 

·         CLICK HERE for the bill introduced in the Senate in 2007 for a legislative pilot program