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For immediate release.
August 4, 2000
Contact: Jesse Rutledge, N.C. Center for Voter Education,
(919) 839-1200

Council of State Races to Be Most Expensive Ever

RALEIGH - Citing data from the State Board of Elections, the N.C. Center for Voter Education noted today that the cost of political campaigns in North Carolina continues to rise, while voter turnout is on the decline. The Center urged state leaders to reform the campaign finance system.

With the cost of elections increasing and the number of people voting decreasing, there is cause for concern, said Jesse Rutledge, communications director for the Center. There is not a definitive link between the two trends, but While there are a number of reasons for declining turnout we need to examine them this relationship more closely. One by itself would be troubling. Both together make this a real concern.

The Center reviewed data for ten offices, including the governor and the nine other statewide offices that constitute the council of state. The Center's analysis of recent fundraising reports indicates that the top fundraising candidates in all nine council of state races are ahead of the top fundraisers in those races at this point in the 1996 election cycle.

More significantly, with three months of lucrative fundraising time remaining before the general election in November, candidates in six of the nine races have already raised more money than the winning candidate did in the entire 1996 election cycle. On average, the cost of winning a Council of State race has so far increased 33 percent from 1996, which is significantly more than the 3 percent total increase in cost from 1992 to 1996 (see attached graph).

Total spending in the governor's race is also on track to exceed the record $19.4 million spent in 1996.

These most recent fundraising figures certainly reinforce the perception that campaigns are pricing average citizens out of the political process, said Rutledge. In past years, over 90 percent of the money in North Carolina politics came from less than one percent of the people. With costs climbing, even fewer people will be able to take an active part in the state's political system.

The Center also reviewed voter turnout in recent North Carolina primary elections when the statewide candidates were on the ballot. It found that fewer citizens voted in this year's primary -- only 17.5 percent cast ballots on May 2nd -- than in 1996, when 20 percent voted, or in 1992, when 25.5 percent voted. Turnout in the general election in November decreased from 50.4 percent in 1992 to 47.6 percent in 1996. Turnout in off year elections, when the governor and other statewide candidates were not on the ballot, was even lower.

It won't be a big surprise if fewer voters than ever vote in this year's fall election, as well, Rutledge said, noting that turnout in the general elections decreased from 50.4 percent in 1992 to 47.6 percent in 1996. continued. Given these circumstances we hope that state leaders will take a hard look at campaign finance reform for North Carolina.

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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