Create a Small Donor Funded Fair Election Program in Anne Arundel County!
Our democracy is based on the premise that every individual, regardless of how wealthy they are, has an equal voice in our elections. But too often, large campaign contributions determine who can run for and win office, and ultimately what priorities our government tackles. Our democracy is knocked out of balance when candidates feel they have to spend their time courting wealthy and corporate special interests to fundraise for their elections instead of talking to constituents. A Small Donor Funded Fair Elections Program will ensure our elected officials are accountable to their constituents, not wealthy special interests.
In 2014, Montgomery County became the first county in the state to establish a small donor matching program for county council and executive elections. It incentivizes small contributions by providing matching funds to candidates who don't accept any large contribution or contributions from special interests such as corporations or PACs. In the summer of 2017, the Howard County Council established a similar small donor program that candidates can utilize for the 2022 election. At the gubernatorial level, both Governor Hogan and Democratic candidate Mizeur, outsiders to the political establishment, used a public funding program for their campaigns in 2014.
At every level of government from congress to municipalities, we deserve a government that is accountable to all of us, not to just to wealthy donors.
A small-donor matching program in Anne Arundel County will:
• Make county government accountable to all of us by giving candidates the opportunity to reject big donors and special interests money and to instead seek support from everyday residents
• Amplify the voice of the average contributor through a tiered match system
• Increase participation in county elections by empowering small donors
• Break down the barriers to running for office by allowing county residents with strong ideas and a call to public service to run for office, regardless of their personal connections to wealthy donors or corporate contributors
Petition to Create a Small Donor Funded Election Program in Anne Arundel County:
Dear County Executive Steuart Pittman & Anne Arundel County Council Members,
As a resident of Anne Arundel County, I urge you to introduce, support, and pass legislation to reduce the power of corporations, developers, and wealthy donors and ensure everyday residents have a bigger voice in our elections.
Instead of taking large donations from special interests and wealthy individual donors, participating candidates should only accept contributions below a certain dollar amount from everyday residents. These donations would then receive matching funds through the Small Donor Program, with the smallest contributions matched at the highest rate. This allows candidates to remain true and accountable to their citizen base and to compete effectively against candidates supported largely by corporate special interests.
The cost of the Small Donor Funded Election Program would be based on population size and the average costs to run for office. Just like we pay for poll workers and voting machines, this is a critical investment in the health of our democracy. In jurisdictions with small donor funded elections, candidates can run for office on the strength of their ideas and support from their communities, instead of on access to large and corporate donors. It will help ensure that politicians are using our tax dollars to address the most important unmet needs in Anne Arundel County without the ability to carve out benefits for their biggest donors.
Small Donor Funded Election programs ensure a government by the people and bringing this program to Anne Arundel County will build a more accessible and accountable local government. It is for the above reasons that I urge you to create a Small Donor Funded Election Program in support of fair elections across our county.
Sincerely,