Democracy North Carolina played a pivotal role in making the successful Chapel Hill pilot VOE program a reality and we are now working with our allies to pass state legislation that would allow more cities to sponsor their own programs. Locally, some city governments are taking action by urging the General Assembly to pass this bill. In fact, Raleigh, Greenville and Wilmington have all adopted city council resolutions in support of local VOE. Download the Greenville resolution here or take a look at Wilmington's resolution here.

 

About the Chapel Hill Program

Like other Voter-Owned Elections programs, the Chapel Hill program offered a limited public grant to candidates who voluntarily accepted strict fundraising and spending limits and who showed they have broad community support by gathering a set number of small donations from registered voters.

 

Two candidates successfully participated in the program during the 2009 election. One participant was a candidate for Mayor and the other a candidate for Town Council. Both were elected to office and credited the program with allowing them to focus on the issues and constituent concerns instead of fundraising. A third candidate signed up to participate in the program but failed to qualify.

 

We were pleased to see this pilot program debut because we believe Voter-Owned Elections are especially important for local governments for a number of reasons:

1. Local elections are particularly vulnerable to large amounts of spending, making it possible for groups with a financial stake in town government decisions to play dominant roles as big donors, even when they don’t live in that town.
2. Local offices often require a heavy commitment of time in return for little compensation. This creates a big enough disincentive for community leaders to run for elected office. Add in today's high cost of campaigning and too many of our best local leaders don’t want to run for office, robbing NC towns of vital leadership.
3. VOE puts local voters at the center of elections. VOE allows candidates to spend less time fundraising and more time discussing issues with voters – a critical need in local government, where citizen input is vital and where the louder voices can often drown out the silent majority.
4. Local VOE programs have already proved effective in Portland, OR and Albuquerque, increasing voter and candidate participation while decreasing the role of special-interest money in elections.
5. Local VOE programs can be tailored to a town’s specific needs and are paid for out of local funds, not the state budget.
6. Candidates don’t get any public funds unless they abide by various public-trust rules. Local candidates aren’t forced to use public financing; it is a voluntary program. To qualify for funds, candidates must agree to spending and fundraising limits, and must gain approval from local voters who give them the needed qualifying, small donations.

A Proven Reform

About a dozen cities and counties around the nation have adopted public financing programs. In addition to Albuquerque and Portland, they include Tucson, which has the oldest program (begun in 1987) and the highest participation of candidates (over 90%); Austin, TX; Boulder, CO; Dade County, FL; New York City; Long Beach, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Francisco, CA. All of these local governments have reported positive results from their investment in public campaign financing.