D.C. needs to have Fair Elections, Especially East of the River
BY DEXTER WILLIAMS
Fair Elections 101
Having fair elections isn’t a new concept in the United States. It’s not even unique to any political party or ideology (although the current political climate makes that statement debatable). Fair elections are processes in which electing representatives are transparent, accountable, and equally accessible to all voters — just go around the country and ask any Secretary of State. The concept is so popular in the U.S., we even thought it’d be a good idea to “encourage” other countries to implement the practice. But nevertheless, having elections that are fair is critical to our democracy and ability to govern.
As a country, we’ve come a long way as we work toward becoming a more perfect union. Our election process is more robust, efficient, and inclusive. But there’s still something missing. There’s still an unsettled feeling every time we visit the voting booth.
Think about it. If our elections are fair, then why do we have these lingering questions? Why are we apathetic and feel like our voices are never heard? The answer is simple: elections aren’t fair and our voices are being drowned out by people who don’t live in our community or even understand its needs.
You might be asking yourself how and why. And the answer to those questions are also simple: power, influence, and money. Individuals or businesses with unlimited financial resources have the ability to give large donations to a candidate’s campaign, which gives them access to and creates influence over the candidate once he or she takes their oath of office. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have Benjamins to spare for political campaigns, and it’s the biggest reason why everyday people feel left behind and ignored by their elected officials.
The District’s Fair Election Bill
Luckily for us, D.C. has found a way to level the playing field and empower everyday people. Recently, Councilmember David Grosso introduced the Fair Elections Act of 2017. The bill seeks to eliminate the influence of major corporations and empower District residents by incentivizing candidates to participate in a public finance program. It would achieve its goal by requiring candidates to raise money exclusively from a minimum number D.C. residents, they would have to raise a minimum amount of dollars to prove their level of support across the city, they can’t accpet money from big corporations, and the program would match their donations (5:1) to ensure their competitiveness. Donor and dollar minimums are based on the office the candidate is seeking. It’s worth noting that the bill has 10 of the 13 councilmembers cosponsoring it.
So, why is this so important? Aside from the bill forcing candidates to be connected to the communities they want to represent and empowering everyday residents to hold their elected officials accountable, here are a few statistics from the most recent elections in the city:
- There’s a lack of diversity in contributions. 62 percent of mayoral donors and 67 percent of council donors are white despite the fact that white individuals make up 37 percent of the total population in the District.
- Over 60 percent of campaign donations came from individuals who don’t live in the city or they came from corporations.
- 61 percent of mayoral donors and 59 percent of council donors make over $100,000 a year.
- Minorities make up 47 percent of donors giving $25 or less to mayoral candidates.
- Mayoral candidates received only 7 percent of their contributions from individuals giving $100 or less while 67 percent of their donations came from individuals giving more than $1,000.
As you can see, this bill is a critical step toward creating a fair electoral system where D.C. residents —low or high income — have an equal say in how their city is governed.
East of the River Impact
This legislation arguably benefits wards 7 and 8 more than any other wards in the city. Ward 7 is 95 percent African-American with an average household income of $52,000. In Ward 8, African-Americans make up nearly 94 percent of the population with an average household income of $43,000. It’s also worth noting that the unemployment rates in these wards are the highest in the city: 10 percent (Ward 7) and 12.9 percent (Ward 8) as of January 2017.
In the context of fair elections, wards 7 and 8 are disproportionally disadvantaged. These numbers indicate that residents living in these two wards — generally speaking — are not able to give individual contributions of $1,000. That reality has huge implications for policies impacting the wards and their ability to influence folks at the Wilson Building. That’s not to say that community leaders and activists have no influence over their respective councilmembers — both ward and At-Large. But when major donors — the corporations or individuals who give thousands of dollars — start calling in favors, reality has a way of making itself evident.
With this legislation, residents living east of the river will have the same influence as someone living in Wards 1–6. How? 1.) The bill forces candidates to raise money from a minimum number of D.C. residents. There’s also a cap on individual contributions — closing the disparity gap with campaign contributions. 2.) Your money multiplies. So, if you give $5 the government will match it with $25. Therefore, you’re really giving the candidate $30.
Sign it into Law
Grosso’s proposal is a step in the right direction, and he should be applauded for his leadership on this important issue. Other jurisdictions have implemented similar programs, and it’s time for the nation’s capital to do the same. It’s true that this bill won’t solve all of the problems, but it will strengthen the voice of everyday residents, give candidates who have grassroots support a viable path toward winning an election, and make policymaking more responsive to the needs of the people.
Opponents of this bill will contend that, while they support the idea of this proposal, it’s too costly and we should be more conservative in our approach. That is certainly an argument, but it’s a very weak one. The proposed program is estimated to cost an average of $5M a year, which are pennies in a $14B budget.
We can take comfort in the fact that 10 of the 13 councilmembers have cosigned the bill. But I would caution proponents that cosigning a bill does not always translate to a vote. Remember it’s politics. No one really wants to be publicly against this bill. It’s too popular. But if there are significant changes to the bill or if a councilmember suddenly realizes that there’s language in the proposal that they disagree with, you can bet that their favorable vote is in jeopardy.
So, it’s important that we galvanize and organize to ensure that this bill is passed and signed into law.
Now isn’t the time to be complacent. So, go get your boxing gloves because the real fight is about to begin.
