A Win for Campaign Finance Reform Advocates
Last night, supporters of campaign finance reform won two huge victories on opposite sides of the country.
In Maine, Issue 1 passed with a strong 55% of the vote. Issue 1 will strengthen Maine’s visionary public financing system, which has been weakened since the advent of Citizens United. In addition, the initiative will strengthen disclosure requirements so that donors to dark money groups can no longer stay anonymous, and penalties on violators of Maine’s campaign finance laws will increase. End Citizens United was proud to be at the kick off rally and we couldn’t be more proud of Mainers for Accountable Elections and all of people that helped pass this important initiative.
In Seattle, I-122 passed in a landslide, garnering more than 60% of the vote. The initiative makes Seattle a pioneer in the use of “democracy vouchers” – a tool that will allow each citizen to financially support the candidate of their choice in local elections. I-122 also forbids candidates participating in the public financing system from accepting contributions from major lobbyists or city contractors.
Maine and Seattle voters have proven that Americans of every political persuasion want clean, fair campaigns.