Democracy For The People -- Denver Fair Elections Act

Highlights of The Ordinance (passed in 2018 with 71% of the vote; went into effect January 1, 2020)

Click here for the full text of The Fair Elections Act.

lowers campaign contribution limits
- from $1,000 to $400 for City Council district candidates
- from $2,00 to $700 for citywide candidates
- and from $3,000 to $1,000 for candidates for Mayor
defines Small Dollar Committees and allows SDCs to contribute 10 times the amount an individual can contribute to candidates;
- $4,000 for City Council district candidates
- $7,000 for citywide candidates
- $10,000 for Mayoral candidates
bans contributions to candidates from corporations;
requires the disclosure of dark money in Denver elections (dark money component originally proposed on initiative but passed by City Council prior to going to the ballot);

Publicly Financed Elections Component

establishes a public funding model with qualified candidates receiving a 9-to-1 match on contributions up to $50 from Denver residents to opted-in candidates who only take money from individuals;
establishes lower limits for candidates who opt-in for public funding, including
- $200 for district council candidates,
- $350 for citywide candidates;
- and $500 for mayoral candidates;
establishes maximum matches for candidates of:
- $125,000 for district council candidates
- $250,000 for citywide candidates
- $750,000 for mayoral candidates
Funded through allocating reserve funds to the Fair Elections Fund at $2.88 per resident per year (per resident figure adjusted every four years and residents based on most recent census) for approximately $2 million each year with a cap of $8 million of spending every four-year cycle. Any time the Fair Elections Fund goes over $8 million, the surplus goes to the General Fund;
Fair Election Fund also covers the administrative costs of City staff related to managing the public funding program;
Participating candidates agree to participate in at least two public debates;
Requires any unspent public funds at the end of the campaign be returned to The Fair Elections Fund.
Calls for establishing a separate bank account for public matching funds.

Publicly Financed Elections for Fort Collins, Colorado

Why Public Financing of Elections in Fort Collins?

•Knock down real or perceived financial barriers to entry.

•Counter the perception that Council decisions are influenced by campaign contributions. • •Eventually puts a ceiling on all campaign spending; which only happens when everyone participates.

Highlights of Proposal for Publicly Financed Elections in Fort Collins

Bottom Line: Candidates who opt-in will receive dollar-for-dollar matching funds for up to 50% of the proposed expenditure limit.

Eligibility

•Candidate must have at least one opponent on the ballot

•Candidate must raise at least 10% of the expenditure limit from contributions of no more than $25. •Candidate can accept qualifying contributions only from natural persons (no corporations, unions, PACs, etc.).

•Qualifying contributions can only be made by residents of the City of Fort Collins.

Once Eligibility is met, Candidate agrees to:

•Limit expenditures to:

•$25,000 for Mayoral candidates

•$15,000 for Council candidates

•Accept contributions only from natural persons.

•Contribute to their own campaign no more than ten percent (10%) of the expenditure limit from their own personal wealth.

•Return any unexpended campaign funds to the City up to the amount given to the candidate in public funds.

•Agree to participate in one public forum.

Aurora Campaign Finance Reform Ordinance

Executive Summary

Please click here to sign on as a Citizen Co-Sponsor or to volunteer with the effort.

Aurora residents deserve a campaign finance system that is transparent and fair. They want a democracy where everyone’s voice is heard and everyone plays by fair and common sense rules. Aurora has an opportunity to adopt best practices that have been implemented in many Colorado municipalities that will bring our campaign finance system into the modern era and make the system work better for all Aurora residents.

To that end, the Aurora Campaign Finance Coalition (CleanSlateNow Action, Colorado Common Cause, Colorado Working Families Party, Indivisible Colorado CD6, DSA Colorado, Our Revolution Metro Denver, and PDA Colorado) is working with Aurora City Council and other Aurora city officials to improve and modernize Aurora’s outdated campaign finance laws.The new city ordinance, if adopted, makes the following improvements:

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Establishes New Limits on Campaign Contributions & Use of Campaign Funds

Establishes contribution limits from individuals, committees, and parties to a campaign committee.
Prohibits contributions to candidate committees from business entities (profit and nonprofit corporations, Limited Liability Companies, etc.) and from labor unions.
Small Donor Committees created, pooling individuals’ contributions of no more than $50 per year.
Prohibitions on contributions between different committees and conduit contributions so that voters can better understand where campaign contributions are coming from.
Limits contributions or expenditures in cash to a maximum of $100.

CreatesTransparency for Campaign Contributions & Expenditures

Campaign finance reports must be more detailed and accurate. City Clerk will reject improperly prepared filings, then allow for resubmission.
All committees’ reporting schedules in election years increased to 275, 180, 90, 60, 30, and 14 days before an election, the Friday before the election, and 30 days after the election. Reporting schedule in non-election years increased from annual to semi-annual.
- Recall committees have more stringent reporting schedules.
- Penalties for late filing increased.
New disclosure requirements for “outside” groups that pay for independent expenditures and electioneering communications in Aurora, including requirements for these groups to identify their big donors on public disclosure reports.
Disclaimers required on most political advertising, and independent expenditure and electioneering communication ads must now list the names of the three largest donors to the sponsor of the advertising.

Provides for Greater Oversight & Enforcement of City Campaign Finance Law

More effective complaint and waiver procedures, including:
- Public notice of complaints and advance notice of hearings;
- Subpoena authority;
- Testimony under oath;
- Public records of hearings kept;
- Council members with conflicts of interest must recuse themselves from decisions;
- Unpaid fines to be referred to collections;
Penalties of up to $10,000, or three times the amount of the illegal contribution or expenditure, for intentional campaign finance violations.

Creates Clear & Comprehensive Definitions of Key Terms

Clearly defined terms comprehensively describe the scope of the city’s campaign finance law.
“Inactive voter” is defined in a more limited way, making fewer voters inactive and more active.
Removal of “exploratory committees” and special rules for those entities making the code simpler and easier to understand.

Publicly Financed Campaign Model Also Under Consideration

Potentially based on the Democracy For The People model passed in Denver as The Fair Election Act.
- An opt-in program for candidates who turn down PAC and special interest contributions and only accept donations from individuals.
- Proposes 9-to-1 matching funds for "small-dollar" donations up to $50 from Aurora residents for candidates who opt-in.
- Limits self-financing for candidates who opt-in.

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The coalition continues to welcome feedback and input on the Crystordinance. Our democracy is stronger when we all participate, and this ordinance is no exception. Together we can reform and improve our campaign finance system with laws that amplify the voices of everyday Coloradans, require strong disclosure, improve trust in our elections, and make sure everyone plays by the same common sense rules.

Aurora Residents -- Make Your Voice Heard

Please contact your Ward City Council member, the At-Large Council Members, and the Mayor to express your support for campaign finance reform in Aurora.

Crystal Murillo, Ward !: 303.739.7502 (council office); Email: cmurillo@auroragov.org

Mayor Pro Tem Nicole Johnston, Ward II: 303.739.7506 (office); Email: njohnsto@auroragov.org

Marsha Berzins,Ward III: 303.739.7508 (office), 720.838.3762 (cell); Email: mberzins@auroragov.org

Juan Marcano, Ward IV: 303.739.7015 (office), 720.634.6927 (cell); Email: jmarcano@auroragov.org

Alison Coombs, Ward V: 303.739.7015 (office), 720.505.3332 (cell); Email: acoombs@auroragov.org

Francoise Bergan, Ward VI: 303.739.7015 (office), 720.465.1830 (c); E-mail: fbergan@auroragov.org

Curtis Gardner, At-Large: 303.739.7015 (office), 720.505.4312 (cell); Email: cgardner@auroragov.org

Dave Gruber, At-Large: 303.739.7514 (council office); Email: dgruber@auroragov.org

Allison Hiltz, At-Large: 720.767.2685 (cellphone); Email: ahiltz@auroragov.org

Angela Lawson, At-Large: 303.739.7518 (offic), 720.244.6932 (othr); Email: alawson@auroragov.org

Mike Coffman, Mayor: 303.739.7015 (council office)M; Email: mcoffman@auroragov.org

Lakewood, Colorado Campaign Finance Reform Ordinance

Highlights (passed unanimously by Lakewood City Council, January 2020)

Lowers campaign contribution limits from
- $2,500 to $400 for City Council candidates;
- $5,000 to $800 for candidates for Mayor;
defines and establishes Small Donor Committees (SDCs) with a maximum contribution of $50, all from natural persons; allows SDCs to contribute
- up to $800 to City Council candidates and
- up to $1,600 for candidates for Mayor;
bans contributions to candidates from corporations and labor unions;
bans anonymous contributions (including "fishbowl" contributions) to candidates;
bans contributions from entities formed in foreign countries, non-citizens of the United States, foreign governments, or persons otherwise legally prohibited from contributing;
calculates LLC contributions as part of an individual's aggregate contribution, thereby closing a loophole that allowed individuals to exceed contribution limits by contributing through their LLC;
lowers cash or coin contribution maximum limits from $100 to $20;
sets a $250 limit on contributions to political committees;
lowers threshold defining independent expenditures from $1,000 raised or spent to $500;
requires the disclosure of CEO, professional lobbyists, and anyone paid to communicate with the Mayor or City Council members on behalf of a c(4).
requires disclaimers identifying committees paying for electioneering in print and media;
adds four additional campaign finance report filings for candidates in the nine-month period leading up to a municipal election, expanding from two reports to six reports;
- On the 270th, 180th, 90th, 60th, 30th, and 7th days before the regular municipal election; and
- On the 30th day after the regular municipal election.
adds eight campaign finance report filings for issue committees;
adds three campaign finance report filings to the one currently required for recall elections;
calls for the City Clerk to establish, operate, and maintain an electronic reporting system;
empowers the City Clerk to initiate a campaign finance complaint;
gives 72 hours for a party to cure its non-compliance standing from a complaint;
gives the City Clerk the authority to dismiss groundless or frivolous campaign finance complaints;
adds fines up to double the amount contributed to committees that accept illegal contributions;
empowers the City Clerk to fine committees up to $5,000 for non-candidate committees who fail to include disclaimers and up to $500 to candidate committees who fail to include disclaimers.

S. 1/H.R. 1, the For The People Act, Moves to U.S. Senate

Resources for Support of S. 1/H.R. 1, the For the People Act

H.R. 1 passed on the U.S. House floor with a 220-210 vote! Next up is the U.S. Senate -- as S. 1 -- where the vote could be even closer. We need to keep the momentum going and start contacting our Senators to convince them to sign on as co-sponsors and vote YES on S. 1.

Contact your U.S. Senator and encourage them to support a YES vote on S. 1

To contact your U.S. Senator:

If you don't know who your Senators are or how to reach them, click here to identify them. Note: when you get to the contact page for Senators, you can click on "State" to enter your state and find your two Senators.
Each Senator's phone number is listed with a five-digit number, i.e., 4-5852 for Michael Bennet of Colorado. Every number begins 202-22, so Bennet's full number is 202-224-5852.
To see if your senators are already supporting the For the People Act as co-sponsors, click here.

For the full text of the House version of the bill, please click here (791 pages).

For a simple section-by-section summary of the bill, please click here (26 pages).

If you missed the Town Hall on H.R. 1 with Congressman Jason Crow, Senator Michael Bennet, CleanSlateNow, and End Citizens United, please click here to view the recording.

To see a recording of the March 24, 2021 Senate Rules and Administration Committee hearing on S. 1, please click here.

Please click here to sign on as a Community Co-Sponsor of H.R. 1../S. 1.

Highlights of H.R. 1/S. 1:

CLEAN AND FAIR ELECTIONS

Improve Access – H.R. 1 expands access to the ballot box by taking aim at institutional barriers to voting, including cumbersome voter registration systems, disenfranchisement and limited voting hours. H.R. 1 will create automatic voter registration across the country, ensure that individuals who have completed felony sentences have their full voting rights restored, expand early voting and enhance absentee voting, simplify voting by mail, reduce long lines and wait times for voters and modernize America’s voting system.
Promote Integrity – H.R. 1 commits Congress to build the record necessary to restore the Voting Rights Act, as embodied by the House-passed H.R. 4. It also commits Congress to deliver full congressional voting rights and self-government for the residents of the District of Columbia, which only statehood can provide, prohibits voter roll purges like those seen in Ohio, Georgia and elsewhere and ends partisan gerrymandering to prevent politicians from picking their voters.
Ensure Security – H.R. 1 ensures that American elections are decided by American voters, without interference, by enhancing federal support for voting system security, particularly with paper ballots and also by increasing oversight of election system vendors and by requiring the development of a national strategy to protect U.S. democratic institutions.

END THE DOMINANCE OF BIG MONEY IN OUR POLITICS

Guarantee Disclosure – H.R. 1 shines a light on dark money in politics by upgrading online political ad disclosure and requiring all organizations involved in political activity to disclose their large donors. H.R. 1 also breaks the so-called ‘nesting-doll’ sham that allows big-money contributors and special interests to hide the true funding source of their political spending.
Empower Citizens – H.R. 1 strengthens the political power of hardworking Americans by creating a publicly-financed multiple matching system for small donations. This innovative, 21st-century system of citizen-owned elections will break the stranglehold of special interests on Congress and lay the groundwork for an agenda that meets the needs of the American people. The voluntary multiple matching system will be completely paid for by a new surcharge on corporate law breakers and wealthy tax cheats. That way, the individuals and corporations who break the public trust – like Wells Fargo, which created fake bank accounts for unwitting customers, or Volkswagen, which lied about harmful carbon emissions from its vehicles, or Facebook, which violates Americans’ privacy, or Purdue Pharma, which fueled the opioid crisis – bear the cost of building a more just and equitable democracy. H.R. 1 also reaffirms Congress’ authority to regulate money in politics, pushing back on the Supreme Court’s wrong-headed Citizens United decision.
Strengthen Oversight – H.R. 1 ensures that there are cops on the campaign finance beat that will enforce the laws on the books. H.R. 1 tightens rules on super PACs and restructures the Federal Election Commission to break the gridlock and enhance its enforcement mechanisms. It also repeals Mitch McConnell’s riders that prevent government agencies from requiring commonsense disclosure of political spending.

ENSURE PUBLIC SERVANTS WORK FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST

Fortify Ethics Law – H.R. 1 breaks the influence economy in Washington and increases accountability by expanding conflict of interest law and divestment requirements, slowing the revolving door, preventing Members of Congress from serving on corporate boards and requiring presidents to disclose their tax returns.
Impose Greater Ethics Enforcement – H.R. 1 gives teeth to federal ethics oversight by overhauling the Office of Government Ethics, closing loopholes for lobbyists and foreign agents, ensuring watchdogs have sufficient resources to enforce the law and creating a code of ethics for the Supreme Court.