For immediate release.
October 17, 2000
Contact: Jesse Rutledge, N.C. Center for Voter Education,
(919) 839-1200
Issue Ads Spotlight Campaign Finance Reform for N.C.
RALEIGH - With less than a month to go before the general election, the state's airwaves will soon be saturated with political advertising for and against the election of everyone from the next governor to candidates for the N.C. House. But there is a new ad on the airwaves that is not for or against any one specific candidate. Instead, it wants to give a voice to all voters.
The N.C. Center for Voter Education, a nonpartisan organization based in Raleigh, has produced a series of three 30-second television ads that aim to educate voters on campaign finance reform. The ads will be running from Monday, October 16th to November 8th in Charlotte and in the Greenville-New Bern area, and in other markets at later dates.
"We shouldn't be putting a price tag on democracy," said Robert Morgan, a former U.S. senator and N.C. attorney general, who serves as the Center's president. "The problem is, campaigns are too expensive and average people feel shut out of the process. The system is broken, but we can fix it."
The ads encourage viewers to order a booklet of free information on "voter owned" elections by going to a special website, http://www.voterowned.com. Viewers living outside the Charlotte and Greenville-New Bern areas can also see the ads online at the website.
The 16-page booklet contains information that details problems with the current system of campaign finance, such as candidates' dependence on special interest money and wealthy contributors. It also presents a poll that shows 69 percent of North Carolinians favor replacing the current system with the "voter owned" solution.
"People want to take back control over their system, and voter owned elections would restore their power," Morgan continued. "It would make it easier for average folks to run for office, and it would ensure that our elected officials spend time solving problems for the average person, instead of doing favors for special interests and wealthy campaign donors."
The term "voter owned elections" refers to comprehensive campaign finance reform, including public financing for candidates who agree not to violate a spending cap. Candidates would have to show they have broad support from the community before receiving any public funds, said Morgan.
Each of the three ads has a slightly different theme. One features prominent past leaders, like Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, and notes that when they began their careers in public service, there wasn't a price tag on democracy. The second features an average voter talking about modern politics being an arms race for campaign cash and discussing the benefits of voter owned elections. The third opens by noting that North Carolina is home to some of the great leaders of our time, but asks whether the next generation of leaders might be shut out of public service if they aren't wealthy.
"These ads are intended to put a solution on the table for people to think about," said Chris Heagarty, the executive director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education. "People need to know that there are alternatives to special interest control."
"Our research shows one thing very clearly: people are tired of outside forces determining their elections," said Heagarty. "Voters feel like they have no say in the system, because they feel that the only thing that matters anymore is money. We need to find a way to fix that."
The N.C. Center for Voter Education is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization based in Raleigh dedicated to improving the quality and responsiveness of North Carolina's election system. Former U.S. Senator Robert Morgan serves as chairman of the board.
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743 W. Johnson St.
Suite E
Raleigh, NC 27603
919.839.1200