ACTION ALERT
Let your legislators know you support full funding of Clean Elections!
For nearly a decade, Maine’s Clean Elections system has allowed candidates to
run campaigns that are about Maine people
and Maine
issues and not about special interests.
However, over the years successive legislatures and governors have repeatedly raided the Fund, putting it at risk for the upcoming election cycle.
Legislators are making decisions now that could threaten ability of the Clean Elections system to work as Maine voters intended in next year’s election.
Call or email your legislator TODAY
and tell them you support full funding of the Clean Elections system for legislative
and gubernatorial candidates in 2010.
Tell them:
Maine voters approved Clean Elections in 1996 through
a citizen initiative with 56%
of the vote and majorities in 15 of 16 counties.
Mainers continue to support Clean Elections each
year at tax time through the Check Yes!
option on Line 1 of the state income tax form. Tens of thousands of Mainers have made qualifying contributions
so that candidates they support can receive public funding.
Clean Elections works! In the last election cycle 81% of all legislative
candidates used Clean Elections and 85% of the newly-elected legislature used
the system.
Maine
voters want candidates to use the system. In a recent poll, Maine voters were
asked whether candidates for governor should use Clean Elections, and 82
percent said yes, with 61 percent saying they were more likely to vote for
candidates who used the system.
Because of Clean Elections, Maine has largely cut the
connection between private money and public office, and has
successfully reduced the influence of special interests in our legislative
process. Now is not the time to undermine system as we look to the
election of our state’s highest and most powerful office next year.
Tell your State Senator and
Representative that Clean Elections is good for Maine and they should ensure full funding for the next election.
To contact your local state elected officials, visit the Maine State Legislature.
