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------------- ............ ... aj m:.., ------- ... H ent e a ................ ... . ...... .... ................................... ............ .......... Election Act by the resounding margin of 56-44 percent, .................1-�11;..,:::::W-�...... ...... . ........... ---------- .......... making their state the first in the nation to provide fui .................... ..................... .... .... ........................ ---------------- ...... -------- ...... ublic financing for political campaigns. - ----------------- -------------- -------------- --------------- p Two years later, Arizona voters followed suit, approv .......... .... ..... ing the Citizens Clean Elections Act. Reform campaign ............ ............ ... .......... x ers, led by Arizonans for Clean Elections, overcame ....................-A.......... . ..... ..... opposition from entrenched interests to squeak out a nar row victory. The fight in Maine and Arizona was not over, howev ............... ...... er with the election returns. A court challenge to the . ........... ............. .......................... .. .. ............ . . ............ I a .. ...... or .. -11......... . ---- .... .. ...-.. ... constitutionality of Maine's law was rejected in federal " ' 3 M.1 ............ i..... ................ 41 ......... ............ .: ... ....... ....... .............. ........... ........ ...... .......... ........... ........ Z ALP district court in a decision that the federal court of .......... . ...... .. ...... .... .. . ...... appeals upheld in February 2 3 ..............W. 000. The Arizona law also :. ......... .. ... .. -------------- . ...................... ............ . ........................ ......... .............. .... .. :::... : survived legal challenges. Legal scholars consider the .. ........ A Aftft Clean Money, Clean Elections approach to be constitu- wt corm"W". tionally robust, as it conforms with the Supreme Court's where candidates for governor and lieutenant governor Buckley U. Valeo ruling, which specifically approved of voluntary public financing systems. can run under that state's 1997 full public financing law. ............ .... --------------- X �11.11 tiff. r1ow R"eform r1apivened "in ........ .... . ......... .............. ........... .. ................. ........... ................. .. Arizona .............. Arizona and Maine made history when they passed ------------- .. ........... . ..... .... ......... their Clean Money, Clean Elections voter initiatives. ...... to .................. These two states took a bold new step in removing ---------- -------------- .......... .......... money from politics, creating an alternative campaign .... ....... ..................................W.... -------- --- ----- .... finance system that gives power back to the people. .......------- .. .......... ....... ..... .....3.On November 7 1995 more than I OW volunteers . .................. .......... . ....... collected 65,000 signatures to put the Maine Clean .......... .. 6 Al. ...... ..... Election Act on the 1996 ballot. The effort was organ- .... ...................... ............ ... ... ... . .. ........... . ........ . ........... Jill ized by Maine Citizens for Clean Elections with the S61i We Po� M,---.-. to on 0*......... ft Am assistance of Northeast Action, a regional center for #y ............ grassroots activism. Following years of legislative stale- ........... ------- --------- mate on reform, the issue was finally in the hands of the voters. On November 5, 1996, they passed the Clean Clean ElecTions Laws,.,, X ............... r1ow The-air Work Y Becoming a Candidate gnu& In both Arizona and Maine, candidates for statewide ..... ....... ...... .. ........ so offices as well as state senator and state representative .. ........ ............... . ............. ... . . I may choose to run as Clean Elections candidates. After ... .............. .......................... .. . .......... ............ ... .. .... ..... ....... Ir Of: signing and g a Declaration of Intent with the state, they must collect a set number of $5 qualifying contri- butions from voters in their district. Candidates must provide proof that the contributors live in their district ............ . ........... . ..... and are registered to vote. The number of required sig- J � �" peg ay anc . 7an edu- natures/contributions varies according to each office. cador Mid- P*4 By requiring candidates to collect a small $5 contri- 7-- S 4100:: Jeff upset vktoryinft... ....... button instead of simply getting signatures, the system ...... ...... A G=cW,, Me io*&:ft:: fm A5 a . .......... ensures that voters make a considered decision about hS Finance M- ft- T=V member of t C.Q., M- Nee. -orlMbn Committee and the RUIeS Committee. supporting a person's candidacy. Thus, candidates -----------