Letter from Thirty-Five National Organizations to New York

Leadership in Support of Including Small-Donor Matching Funds in

This Year’s Budget
Dear Governor Andrew Cuomo, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl E.
Heastie,
New York State Should Take Heed of U.S. House Passage of H.R. 1 and Pass Fair Elections for New York
and Other Key Electoral Reforms
We are at a key moment in history for our nation’s democracy. The passage of the For the People Act
(H.R. 1) in the U.S. House of Representatives shows that healing our broken democracy and restoring a
voice and the vote to the people is a national priority.
New York should join them. New York started its 2019 legislative session passing some essential
reforms, including early voting and limiting the LLC loophole. But frankly, these reforms only start to
catch New York up to the rest of the nation, in a state that has consistently one of the lowest voter
turnouts.
New York allows people to contribute more money to campaigns out of their own pockets than any
other state that has contribution limits, thus giving the wealthy more access and influence. In 2018, 100
individuals contributed more to New York State elections than 137,000 small donors (defined as those
giving up to $175) combined.
Fair Elections for New York -- with small-donor matching funds as the centerpiece -- is a clear solution to
the oversized influence that a small group of wealthy donors has over New York’s government.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo included Fair Elections in his proposed budget, as did the Assembly and the
Senate. Majorities in each house are on the record in support. With the power to now make it law, New
York’s leaders must walk the walk.
It’s time for you to pass Fair Elections in this year’s budget. We no longer can accept a nation or a state
governed increasingly by a small group of the wealthy elite.
Bend the Arc Jewish Action
Brennan Center for Justice
California Clean Money Action Fund
Campaign Legal Center
Center for Popular Democracy
Communications Workers of America
Daily Kos
Democracy 21
Democracy Initiative
Democracy Matters
Demos
End Citizens United
Equal Citizens
Franciscan Action Network
Free Speech For People
Friends of the Earth
Greenpeace USA
Indivisible Project
Lift Every Vote
Main Street Alliance
MAYDAY America
MoveOn
National Action Network
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
NRDC
North American Climate, Conservation and Environment (NACCE)
Patriotic Millionaires
People For the American Way
Progressive Turnout Project
Public Citizen
RepresentUs
Small Planet Institute
Stand Up America
Sunrise
Voter Rights Action