For immediate release.
May 5, 2009
Contact: Bryan Warner, N.C. Center for Voter Education, 877-258-6837

Poll: N.C. Voters Support Expanding Public Financing for Council of State Races

RALEIGH - A new poll from the nonpartisan N.C. Center for Voter Education reveals that 47 percent of North Carolina voters support expanding the state’s program of public financing for Council of State races, with 33 percent opposed to the program’s expansion and 19 percent unsure.

According to the study, 70 percent of voters would favor Council of State candidates whose campaigns are funded by taxpayers over those candidates funded by the special interests their offices oversee.

In 2008, public financing was available for three Council of State contests: auditor, commissioner of insurance and state superintendent of public instruction. Legislation under consideration in the General Assembly would expand the program to include all Council of State races -- except for governor and lieutenant governor -- beginning with the 2012 election.

The poll also shows strong support among Tar Heel voters for the state’s judicial public financing program, with 60 percent favoring the system and 33 percent opposing it. Judicial public financing has been available to candidates for the N.C. Supreme Court and N.C. Court of Appeals since 2004.

“Voters recognize the effectiveness of North Carolina’s public campaign financing programs in reducing the influence of special interests in our elections,” said Damon Circosta, executive director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education. “This data shows that voters want to make elections not about who has the most money, but rather who is best qualified to serve.”

Commissioned by the N.C. Center for Voter Education, the poll of 653 North Carolina voters was conducted from Apr. 28-30 by Public Policy Polling and has a margin of error of 3.8 percent.

The N.C. Center for Voter Education is a Raleigh-based nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving elections in North Carolina.

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Q1 North Carolina currently has a law that gives statewide judicial candidates the option of accepting public campaign funding if they agree to spending limits and refuse money from political action committees. It also makes judicial elections nonpartisan and provides voter guides to explain judicial candidates’ qualifications. What is your position on this program?

Strongly Favor: 23 percent
Somewhat Favor: 37 percent
Somewhat Oppose: 15 percent
Strongly Oppose: 7 percent
Not Sure: 18 percent

TOTAL FAVOR: 60 percent
TOTAL OPPOSE: 22 percent

Q2 Last year a program was created for publicly financed elections for state auditor, insurance commissioner and superintendent of public instruction. What would your position be on expanding this program to the rest of the Council of State positions?

Strongly Favor: 18 percent
Somewhat Favor: 29 percent
Somewhat Oppose: 16 percent
Strongly Oppose: 17 percent
Not Sure: 19 percent

TOTAL FAVOR: 47 percent
TOTAL OPPOSE: 33 percent

Q3 Would you prefer to have a Council of State member whose campaign was
financed by taxpayers or one whose campaign was financed by the special
interests their office oversees?

FUNDED BY TAXPAYERS: 70 percent
FUNDED BY SPECIAL INTERESTS: 30 percent