Today, the DC Council unanimously passed in a first vote the Fair Elections Act, creating a program where candidates for public office can opt into a publicly-funded model that puts greater focus on small-dollar contributions from DC residents and strengthens their voice in DC elections.  The bill was co-introduced by Councilmember Charles Allen and shepherded through the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, where it passed unanimously 5-0.

“Once it becomes law, the Fair Elections Act will change the way campaigns work in the District. More residents will be empowered to participate, more candidates will be viable to run and represent their communities, and candidates will spend more time talking to residents rather than dialing for dollars,”   said Councilmember Allen.

How the program would work: Candidates must take a much lower maximum donation and cannot accept any donations from corporations or businesses. In exchange, the candidate will receive a 5-to-1 dollar match for every donation made by a DC resident. Additionally, once candidates qualify for the program, they receive a base grant amount – the first half when they reach the fundraising qualifying threshold, and the second half when the candidate qualifies for the ballot.

How to qualify: Candidates can’t just sign up and receive tax-payer money. They must demonstrate viability both as a fundraiser and by traditionally collecting enough ballot petition signatures. To qualify for public funds, a candidate must raise a certain amount of money from a certain number of donors:

The Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety is chaired by Councilmember Allen and has Councilmember David Grosso (At-Large), Councilmember Anita Bonds (At-Large), Councilmember Mary Cheh (Ward 3), and Councilmember Vince Gray (Ward 7) as members.

The bill was co-introduced by Councilmembers Allen, Grosso, Cheh, Silverman, Robert White, Nadeau, McDuffie, Trayon White, and Chairman Mendelson.

# # #