Campaign Finance Reform - Connecticut
Keywords
In the wake of numerous high-profile state and municipal campaign scandals, the Connecticut legislature, in 2005, established the Citizens Election Program and corresponding Citizen Election Fund to publicly finance statewide elections. In 2006, the law was amended to correct flaws that added an unnecessary step for minority party candidates.
A candidate voluntarily participating in the program must first collect a specific number of small contributions to qualify for state funding. The candidate is then eligible for grants depending on the party (major/minor) and financing status (participant of program/no-participant) of the candidate's opposition. Additional grants are also available for primary campaigns and if a non-participating opponent spends in excess of the candidate.
In September 2007, the citizen's election program saw its first implementation in a special election for House District 113. The program will be available to state senate and representative candidates in 2008, and open to all state races in 2010.
FULL TEXT OF RULE:
- State Elections Enforcement Committee
- Connecticut Citizen's Election Program Overview
- Public Financing Program - Brennan Center for Justice


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Comments
seed money re: clean elections
I am wondering if limiting seed money contributions to, e.g., $100 is constitutional. Several states have specified such a limit in the context of some sort of clean elections legislation. I can not find any instance that this feature of a clean elections program is unconstitutional. Does anyone know of a case where the constitutionality of this feature has been challenged.
I am guessing that the answer is no, primarily because it if it is associated with clean elections programs such as those in Maine, Arizona, and Connecticut, then it is only required if a candidate volunteers to abide by the rule if he(she) wishes to qualify to receive public funds for his(her) campaign.
Thanks.
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