I have a confession to make.
I’m in love with the idea of campaign finance reform.
I’ve written about the harmful effects super PACs have on our democracy before, but one place in our country is finally doing something about it.
The city of Seattle took a bold step in political reform Nov. 3 when its citizens passed Initiative 122, also known as the “Honest Elections” bill.
The bill is a groundbreaking, first of its kind effort to change the way political candidates fundraise for their campaigns.
According to the policy desk of mic.com, Initiative 122 allows registered voters in the city to receive four vouchers at $25 each in the mail during an election year. Voters can donate these vouchers, also known as “democracy dollars,” to whichever candidate they want to support.
Participation in the program is totally voluntary for candidates. Candidates can still choose other means of fundraising if they want to by courting big donors, but the idea of the vouchers encourages them to seek smaller donations.
If candidates opt in to receive the vouchers, they will have to agree to certain rules to prevent them from completely decimating their opponents in fundraising. These rules include “limits on private contributions, a ban on fundraising on behalf of any independent groups and mandatory participation in at least three public debates,” according to mic.com.
Another positive side effect of the bill is it inspires candidates to actually, you know, campaign a little to win elections.
Instead of playing host to fancy, $1,000-per-seat dinners in posh hotels and restaurants to fundraise money for their campaigns, candidates can seek out as many democracy dollars as possible by going door-to-door and talking with potential voters.
In this way, the bill is a success for both politicians and voters. It allows politicians to campaign for both financial support and the support of individual voters, and it allows voters to get to know politicians and their views on more than a superficial basis.
To pay for the initiative, a total of $30 million in property taxes will be raised over the next 10 years in the city, according to the Seattle Times.
However, the newspaper noted the new taxes only amount to about $9 a year for a home that’s listed at $450,000 on the market.
Will the state of Indiana ever adopt an initiative similar to this one?
I highly doubt it.
Indiana is one of eight states in the nation with strict laws just to vote, according to Public Radio International.
Indiana’s has had a voter ID law in place since 2005, according to PRI. Photo identification laws have been proven time and time again to limit participation in elections. According to the New York Times, they disproportionately affect minorities and low-income communities and prevent them from voting.
Many low-income people, for example, don’t see much of a need for one of the most common forms of photo identification in this country: the driver’s license. They often utilize public transportation, leaving them without a valid photo ID to vote.
This is a shame, because I believe introducing campaign finance reform can drastically increase participation in our state’s government, particularly within these marginalized communities.
By giving each citizen democracy dollars, voters from lower socio-economic backgrounds can finally have their voices heard, just like the business people at those pricey dinners have been getting their voices heard for years.
Now that’s an idea I can get behind.
ttfitzpa@indiana.edu
@tfitzwrites
