New Yorkers deserve a responsive, accountable government. Voter turnout in New York is among the lowest in the nation, due in part to antiquated procedures for registration and voting that discourage participation. And our campaign finance system favors the wealthy over everyday, working New Yorkers. To tackle the crises we face in housing, living wage jobs, criminal justice, affordable health care, transportation, climate, fair taxes, and more, we must transform a campaign finance system that advantages the interests of the few over those of the many.

The shift in power in the New York State Senate—and a Governor and an Assembly prioritizing democratic reforms—presents an unprecedented opportunity to unrig the rules, strengthen our democracy, and incentivize elected officials to represent the values of the people of the state. A broad coalition of individuals and groups across New York is coming together to ensure that an overhaul of New York’s voting and campaign finance systems is the first order of business in the 2019 New York Legislature. This Fair Elections reform package would:

• Increase the power of small donations. It is critical we implement a small donor matching system for state elections, including District Attorneys, like the successful programs in New York City and Connecticut. This gives everyday people the means to run for office and represent their communities relying on small donations instead of large checks. After the Supreme Court allowed unlimited, secret money to flow into our elections, small donor matching funds remains the most powerful way to combat the influence of big money. By matching small dollar donations 6-to-1, we can amplify the voices of women; of people of color; of the working and middle classes; and of any and all under-represented New Yorkers in the political process. Adequate enforcement as well as robust candidate support services would ensure the matching funds program runs smoothly.
• Limit the influence of big money. The very wealthy and corporations shouldn’t be allowed to buy elections. We can put a check on their outsize influence by closing the “LLC loophole,” which allows mega donors to funnel limitless amounts to candidates, and by reducing New York’s unusually high contribution limits, among other improvements.
• Make it easier, not harder, to vote. Including but not limited to automatic voter registration, early voting, same day registration, online voter registration, no excuse absentee voting, new party enrollment deadlines, pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds, full voting access for people with disabilities, and codify into law New York’s new policy to extend voting rights to all New Yorkers with past convictions.

Fair Elections Supporters

32BJ SEIU
50 West 93 Street Tenant Association
ACT18 Indivisible
Action Potluck
Advocates for Justice Chartered Attorneys
ALIGN
Alliance for Quality Education
American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee
The Arena
Association of Tenants of Lincoln Towers
Bend the Arc
The Black Institute
Brennan Center for Justice
Briarcliff – Ossining Indivisible
Bronx Progressives
Buffalo Democratic Socialists of America
Campaign for New York Health
Campaign Legal Center
Capital District Democratic Socialists of America
CCoHOPE Indivisible
Central Park Gardens Tenants Association
Chinese American Planning Council
Churches United For Fair Housing
Citizen Action New York
The Civics Center
Color of Change
Common Cause New York
Communities United for Police Reform Action Fund
Community Voices Heard
Concerned Citizens For Change
Cooper Square Committee
The Creative Resistance
Crown Heights Tenants Union
CWA District 1
Democracy Initiative
Democracy Matters
Demos
Downtown Women for Change
Dutchess County Progressive Action Alliance
Empire State Indivisible
Empire State Progressives
End Citizens United
Equal Citizens
Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island
Every Voice
Four Freedoms Democratic Club
The Gathering for Justice
Generation Citizen NY
Grassroots Action NY
Greater NYC for Change
Housing Works, Inc.
Human Services Council
Humanists of Long Island
Indivisible Beekman
Indivisible CD19 NY
Indivisible Harlem
Indivisible Nation BK
Indivisible Scarsdale
Indivisible the Fight Is On
Indivisible We Stand Upper West Side
Indivisible Westchester
Jews for Racial & Economic Justice
Labor-Religion Coalition of NYS
Long Island Activists
Long Island Civic Engagement Table
Long Island Jobs with Justice
Long Island Network for Change
Long Island Progressive Coalition
Long Island Together
Lower Hudson Valley Progressive Action Network
Make the Road New York
MAYDAY America
Metropolitan Council on Housing
Metro New York Health Care for All
Mid Suffolk Chapter of the National Organization for Women
Move Forward Staten Island
MoveOn.org
MPower Change
Muslims For Progress
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
New York City Loft Tenants
New York Civic Engagement Table
New York Communities for Change
New York Immigration Coalition
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
New York Progressive Action Network
New York State Council of Churches
New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG)
Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson
No IDC NY
North American Climate, Conservation and Environment (NACCE)
Northeast NY Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health
Northwest Bronx Indivisible
NY19Votes
NYCAIC’s #HALTsolitary campaign
NYCD16 Indivisible
NYC Democratic Socialists of America
NYS NAACP Conference of Branches
NYS Nurses Association (NYSNA)
Our Revolution
Partnership for the Public Good
People For the American Way
The People’s Empowerment Project/Democracy Coffee
People Power Patchogue
Persist81
Progressive Action of Lower Manhattan
Progressive East End Reformers (PEER)
Progressive Power Inwood Heights
Progressive Schenectady
Progressive Turnout Project
Public Citizen
Putnam Progressives
Rally+Rise
Reinvent Albany
RepresentUs
Resist and Replace, Suffolk County
Riverside Edgecombe Neighborhood Association
Rockland United
RWDSU
Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter
Small Planet Institute
Solidarity Committee/Capital District
Stand Up America
St Nicks Alliance
Strong Economy For All Coalition
Suffolk Progressives
Sunrise NYC
Tenants and Neighbors
Tenants Political Action Committee
True Blue New York
Ulster People for Justice & Democracy
Union Vale Indivisible
Up2Us
Uptown Progressive Action
Washington County Progressives
We of Action New York
Westchester Citizen Therapists
Westchester for Change
Working Families Party