Public Financing for Elections: Does it Really Matter?
In 2005, the Connecticut General Assembly, urged on by an intense grassroots advocacy effort, passed the first comprehensive public financing system for state elections in the nation. The kick off election cycle was 2008, and in that year and ever since, at least 74% of all candidates choose to participate in the system of public financing, called the Citizens’ Election Program. So, has public financing really made a difference? The answer is a resounding, YES! So why are state Democrats proposing to kill the program? That is completely unclear, but leadership has proposed cutting $11.7 million from the Citizens’ Election Fund, effectively wiping out Connecticut’s public financing program.