Citizen Funded Elections

The Portland, Oregon city council passed “Open & Accountable Elections” today, a reform aimed at curbing special interest money in city elections and making city government more representative and accountable to the voters. Portland joined a growing list of cities and states recently passing laws to curb the influence of big money in elections.

Portland, OR's City Council will vote next week on a plan to amplify the voices of small-dollar political donors

A national movement for democracy reform is growing, even if largely missed in the media

Today, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation to give citizens a greater voice in California’s democracy. With the U.S. Congress gridlocked, California is leading a wave of pro-democratic reforms passed at the state and local level across the country. Senate Bill 1107, by Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, gives local governments and the state the choice to enact citizen-funded election programs. California Common Cause sponsored the bill with the California Clean Money Campaign.

With Election Day now just two months away, Common Cause released its 2016 Democracy Scorecard that charts the positions of every Member of Congress on issues vital to the health of our democracy.

Movement for Black Lives demands a better democracy.