A growing number of states and cities are operating public financing programs whose names range from Clean Money to Voter-Owned Elections to Citizens’ Election Program. Program basics are that potential candidates collect a large number of small qualifying contributions to demonstrate community support and are then eligible for enough public dollars to run a viable campaign with matching funds available to level the playing field if outspent by a non-participating candidate or independent expenditures. Candidates swear off private fundraising and limit their spending.

Reform goals include providing typical folks a meaningful role in candidate selection, opening doors for more diverse candidates, and reducing special interest influence. For example, the first governor elected under this reform option, Janet Napolitano of Arizona, signed an executive order on her first day in office ordering state agencies to switch to bulk purchasing of pharmaceutical drugs and said she could do so because she didn’t have to take drug company or any other private money contributions. The Fair Elections Now Act introduced in the U. S. Senate includes a provision that can only be included in federal bill to provide broadcast media vouchers to pay for political advertising.

In Portland voters got the reform effort going in 2004 when they said “no” to a million-dollar candidate in a campaign season where most of the money raised by candidates (69 percent) came in checks of $1,000 or more, with those big spenders representing a small number (just 7 percent) of the donors. The city council got the message and in May 2005 adopted Voter-Owned Elections. Now, because of Voter-Owned Elections the ticket price for meaningful participation in the political process is now an affordable $5.00. Voter-Owned Elections will be referred to Portland voters in November 2010.

In 2006 and 2008, record numbers of typical Portlanders played a significant role in candidate selection. In addition, many non-participating candidates are also agreeing to self-imposed spending and contribution caps that help meet reform goals of reducing special interest influence and cutting the costs of campaigns.

The Oregonian as well as big business and development interests oppose Voter-Owned Elections. The important question to ask to rebut their opposition arguments is what would be happening without Voter-Owned Elections and this comparison is made in the opening paragraph of a recent guest editorial by the president of the League of Women Voters of Portland.

Picture, for a moment, this year's City Council races without Portland's campaign finance reform system of Voter-Owned Elections. We'd be seeing record spending (half a million plus per candidate) funded by large contributions ($1,000, $5,000 and beyond) from special-interest players backing a select group of candidates. Candidates would prove their viability by dialing for dollars. The election's short timeline would force them to target deep-pocketed donors rather than typical Portlanders. Time spent fundraising would take away from the time a candidate could spend engaging ordinary voters. Under that scenario, should we be surprised if the concerns of big contributors take precedence over community priorities?

Voter-Owned Elections is improving Portland politics, but the November 2010 referral will likely bring out big-dollar donors who want a return to their control of City Hall. Join Democracy Reform Oregon in our efforts to defend Voter-Owned Elections, check us out at www.democracyreform.org

Democracy Reform Oregon

Democracy Reform Oregon (DRO) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit group working to increase accountability and opportunities for participation in politics and government decision-making. DRO has been working on democracy reform issues since 1999 and was formerly the Money in Politics Research Action Project or MiPRAP. MiPRAP was a leader in the community coalition advocating for enactment of Portland’s Voter-Owned Elections and continues to defend the program. Democracy Reform Oregon tracks political money in Oregon and recently released A Political History of Bill Sizemore: Profit vs. Policy Motives, Supporters and Opponents, Fair Fights or Fraudulent Tactics. Democracy Reform Oregon also advocates for National Popular Vote and actions to increase voter participation.