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The Democratic Party of Hawaii believes in a fully publicly financed election system. Through this system, candidates who meet the criteria for public funding will receive enough funds from the state to carry out their election campaigns without depending on private contributions.

This system will help diminish the sway of special interests and foster diversity among candidates, and strengthen the public’s faith in our democratic system.

This system won’t fix all that is wrong with our campaign finance laws, but it is nonetheless impressive as it stands as a strong and necessary first step to help us to promote integrity in our electoral process. It is a way by which we can begin to restore faith in our democracy.

Public financing of elections is a key principle of the Democratic Party . Over the last several years we have passed , urging the Legislature this program statewide.

The present campaign finance system has a significant problem in that it creates a strong connection between private donors and elected officials. Candidates who depend on private donations could feel compelled to consider the interests of their donors over the needs of their constituents. This can lead to undemocratic outcomes in which policies are influenced by money rather than merit.

To decrease the sway of special interests, Hawaii’s Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct that Hawaii increase the amount of public funds available for candidates seeking office.

Commission members have expressed support for , which aims to establish a fully publicly financed election system that would break the bond between big donors and office seekers by providing candidates with enough public money to run competitive campaigns.

To qualify for public funds, candidates would need to get a certain number of $5 donations from voters in their district, ensuring that candidates have significant support from their constituents before receiving any public money. Candidates who choose this system would be prohibited from accepting contributions from any additional private donors.

The current campaign finance system often results in candidates who lack the resources to mount competitive campaigns, compromising the quality and integrity of our elected officials and political system.

This would increase competition and diversity among candidates.

In contrast, a fully publicly financed election system would provide equal funding to all candidates, enabling people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to run for office without worrying about raising funds. This would increase competition and diversity among candidates and give voters a broader range of options and voices in our democracy.

have successfully implemented public funding systems for over a decade, leading to greater competition, increased voter turnout, and more women and people of color .

‘Remarkably Low Cost’

The success of a fully publicly financed election system has already been demonstrated in Hawaii. The Hawaii County Council races and this program and achieved considerable success, with several first-time candidates winning elections by relying on public funding.

The implementation of this program comes at a remarkably low cost. It is estimated that the annual expense is , which amounts to just $1 for our state. Given Hawaii’s budget of and a surplus of over $2 billion, the state has the necessary resources to turn this fantastic plan into reality.

The entire Senate chamber and House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs committee have already passed this bill, leaving the Finance Committee’s approval and both chambers’ consensus on a final version as the only remaining steps before it can be sent to the governor’s office.

Please support and encourage Finance Chair Kyle Yamashita and the entire legislature to make this initiative a reality. Together, we can bring about real change in Hawaii’s campaign finance system and strengthen our democracy for the future.