Voter Owned Hawaii is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that is working to upgrade and modernize Hawaii's outdated partial public funding option for elections. Like many other states, we'd like to create a comprehensive public funding option so that candidates can attempt to qualify to get a competitive amount of money to run for office. More
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Politics
June 26, 2010
Advocates for publicly financed elections say the approach helps remove the corrupting influence of money from political campaigns.
Money for the program comes from the $4.5 million Hawaii Election Campaign Fund, which is financed by taxpayers who check a box on their income tax forms to donate $3.
The U.S. Supreme Court decision opening a floodgate of corporate and union spending to influence U.S. elections immediately inspired a backlash in the form of rising support for public campaign financing.
The day after the high court's 5-4 ruling recast the political landscape ahead of the 2010 midterm elections, dozens of current and former corporate executives sent a letter to members of Congress through the good-government coalition Fair Elections Now urging them to approve public financing for House and Senate campaigns.
September 16, 2009
Fair Elections Now Act deserves support
Next year, the Big Island County Council elections will conduct a first for Hawai'i: a publicly funded election. It's a concept that has grown increasingly popular in recent years, and with good reason. It gives candidates who aren't beholden to well-monied special interests a fighting chance to compete for public office.
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Money & Politics News Roundup