Empowering Voters By…

… ending the influence of Dark Money/Big Money in Public Policy.

Sadly, many people believe their votes have little impact on politicians, and that big money corrupts government policies. They are right. When dialing for dollars is our representatives’ nearly full time job, the big money donors make that job easier. And so, big money buys access to our politicians, access means influence, and influence makes policies that benefit the 1%.

In Connecticut, where voluntary public financing of elections was instituted in 2008, the change has been dramatic. Politicians have more time to devote to their constituents —  the people — and legislation addressing the people’s needs predominates. Important public benefit legislation gets bipartisan support. Lobbyists and big money have less influence on public policy. Policies Connecticut has adopted since public financing was implemented are more aligned with the public’s preferences and needs. This means democracy works better.

We too can eliminate the worst aspects of “pay to play” with a robust system of public financing.

…and by Greater Voter Participation

New York has among the worst voter turnout rates in the nation. Before the presidential election of 2016, NY was among the bottom half, and in 2016 only 57.2 % of eligible voters cast their votes. WHY? People do not think their vote matters, when big money buys the state’s policies. Small donor matching funds and lower contribution limits will make regular voters’ needs more important.

Another reason for our low voter turnout is difficulty in registering and in voting. Last year, with Democrats in control of the NYS Senate as well and the Assembly, we enacted early voting across NY to allow greater access to the polls, as well as combined primaries, to reflect the needs of modern workers and caregivers. Even greater turnout could result if NY enacts automatic voter registration of 18 year olds, with an opt out provision.

Voting should be made a “thing”, part of what we all do as New Yorkers. Engaging the public in our Democracy will sustain our freedoms and fight corruption.