The Coalition for Open Democracy was established in response to one unavoidable fact: American government no longer works for the American people. On climate change, healthcare, education, taxes, poverty, and more, ordinary people are paying the price for the influence wealthy special interest money has over our elected officials.
The Citizens United decision granted corporations and unions the right to spend unlimited money in elections. As a result, special interest groups across the partisan divide have invested billions of dollars to shape the national debate and determine who gets elected to public office. Public officials, in turn, must focus their attention on the task of raising money–and the needs of the wealthy few who fund campaigns–rather than serving the needs of everyday voters. Meanwhile, the majority of American citizens are effectively excluded from politics because they cannot afford to fund campaigns or seek elected office, and tens of millions more face outright disenfranchisement at the polls.
Our Goals for Reform to achieve political equality for all:
1. Establish small donor, voter-owned honest elections
2. End gerrymandering and modernize voting
3. Eradicate Super PACs & neutralize Citizens United
4. Expose unlimited, anonymous Secret Money
5. Eliminate Pay-to-Play lobbyist & contractor donations
6. Enforce campaign finance laws & close loopholes
Read on for more on our current work on these points below!
1. Establish small donor, voter-owned honest elections
The current system of privately-funded elections silences the voices of everyday people, favoring wealthy interest groups. For our representative democracy to be fully "of, by, and for the people," the solution is publicly funded elections. Open Democracy works to educate Granite Staters about a reform solution - Voter-Owned Elections.
With Voter-Owned elections, every voter is given $100 "Civic Dollars” (four certificates worth $25 each) that they can donate to candidates of their choice. For candidates to qualify to receive Civic Dollars, they would need to agree to run clean campaigns, including the following:
No Large Donations: Candidates who receive Civic Dollars would contractually agree to not accept large private donations for the primary and general elections
No Outside Money: Participating candidates and their committees would agree to not accept donations from individuals residing outside New Hampshire and would request that so-called “independent groups” not spend money on their behalf; only citizens eligible to vote for the candidate would be allowed to contribute to their campaign
No Corporate Contributions: A companion bill would prevent non-persons like corporations, unions, and other special interests from funding political campaigns
Full Transparency: Candidates and political committees campaigning in New Hampshire would be required to regularly and publicly disclose their donors online
The influence of big money in politics affects everything about our daily lives. The following fact sheets, compiled by 2022 Democracy Fellow Davis Allen, connect the dots between money in politics and other issues. 2022 NH Hampshire Election Spending Fact Sheet updated by 2023 Democracy Fellow Bayani Pascual.
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2. End gerrymandering and modernize voting
Open Democracy worked closely with Granite Staters around the last census to help communities understand the importance of fair maps, and the negative impact gerrymandering has on voters.
We also participate in ongoing voter education efforts, including education about policies that continue to make sure every voter is able to exercise their freedom to vote.
3. Eradicate Super PACs & neutralize Citizens United
4. Expose unlimited, anonymous Secret Money
5. Eliminate Pay-to-Play lobbyist & contractor donations
6. Enforce campaign finance laws & close loopholes
Open Democracy is working to close the "LLC Loophole," a loophole in NH campaign finance law that allows individuals to donate more than the limit - anonymously - through multiple LLCs often created for just this purpose. The LLC Loophole has been used by both Democrat and Republican donors. Out-of-state campaign donors and even foreign campaign donors could be bankrolling ads and candidates in New Hampshire, and voters would never know having only the cover name of the LLC which gave the money.
