What is it?
According to the state of Connecticut, its voluntary program provides full public financing to qualified candidates and is designed to improve the electoral process by:
- Allowing candidates to compete without reliance on special interest money;
- Allowing statewide officers and legislators the ability to make decisions free of the influence of, or the appearance that they have been influenced by, donations from special interests;
- Restoring public confidence in the electoral and legislative processes;
- Increasing meaningful citizen participation and
- Providing the public with useful and timely disclosure of campaign finances
How is it funded?
Citizens’ Election Fund receives most of its funding from the sale of abandoned property in the State of Connecticut’s custody. The Fund may also accept voluntary contributions.
Who may participate?
Candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of the state, treasurer, comptroller, or attorney general (“statewide office”) or for state senator or state representative (“General Assembly”).
What are the requirements to participate?
Candidates must agree to abide by restrictions on fundraising and spending, including contribution and expenditure limits and mandatory financial disclosure, as well as other requirements.
How does a candidate qualify?
Candidates must demonstrate substantial public support by raising an aggregate amount of small-dollar monetary contributions (between $5 and $100) from individuals residing in their district (for General Assembly) or the state for statewide office:
- Governor: $250,000 of which $225,000 must be raised in-state;
- Other statewide offices: $75,000, of which $67,500 must be raised in-state;
- State Senator: $15,000. Minimum of 300 individual residents of municipalities in district and
- State Representative: $5,000. Minimum of 300 individual residents of municipalities in district.
- Use of personal funds: Candidates may provide a limited amount of personal funds to their committees only before applying for a grant. Any allowable personal funds provided will reduce the grant by a corresponding amount.
What are the amounts of the grant?
The grant amount is based on the level of public support as demonstrated by how each candidate qualifies for the ballot, and, in some instances, the number of nominating petition signatures a candidate obtains. Here were the grant amounts for 2014:
Primary:
- Governor: $1,354,250
- Other statewide offices: $406,275
- State senator: $38,990
- State representative: $11,140
- Note: Candidates in “party-dominant” districts are eligible for larger grants in primary campaigns.
Full General Election Grants:
- Governor: $6,500,400
- Other statewide offices: $812,550
- State senator: $94,690
- State representative: $27,850
- Note: Grant amounts for candidates nominated by a major party may be reduced to 30 percent of the full amount if the candidate is unopposed in the general election, and may be reduced to 60 percent of the full amount if the candidate faces only a minor party or petitioning opponent who has not raised an amount equal to the qualifying threshold level for that office.
Are there problems?
There are concerns that candidates who enter the system will not have enough money to respond to the growing amount of money being spent by outside groups, including super PACs. This has given rise to legislative efforts to modify the limits and restrictions applicable to candidates and political parties. Without a prohibition on raising soft money, a publicly funded candidate can receive public funds and still raise contributions for other committees outside the program’s limits.
% OF CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS WHO FAVOR A PUBLIC FUNDING SYSTEM
Do Connecticut residents support the system?
Yes. According to the executive director of Common Cause Connecticut, 80 percent of residents favor CEP. Additionally, the system has been successful in encouraging candidates to use citizen funds (77 percent of successful candidates in 2012 opted in), and one elected official interviewed by the nonprofit Demos stated, “I think it is fantastic. I get all my fundraising done early in the summer and then spend the rest of the time door knocking and talking to constituents, which is where I should be spending my time."
Do Connecticut residents support the system?
Yes. According to the executive director of Common Cause Connecticut, 80 percent of residents favor CEP. Additionally, the system has been successful in encouraging candidates to use citizen funds (77 percent of successful candidates in 2012 opted in), and one elected official interviewed by the nonprofit Demos stated, “I think it is fantastic. I get all my fundraising done early in the summer and then spend the rest of the time door knocking and talking to constituents, which is where I should be spending my time.”
“PUBLIC FINANCING ALLOWS FOR A GREATER NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO RUN FOR HIGHER ELECTED OFFICES. THIS IS BECAUSE THERE IS A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD IN TERMS OF OF FUNDRAISING. I BELIEVE THIS ALSO OPENS THE DOOR TO HAVING MORE MINORITY CANDIDATES RUN FOR THESE ELECTED OFFICES AS WELL.”