Every person who is registered to vote in Oakland will get 100 democracy dollars to put toward a community-funded candidate (basically any candidate who is certified to run).
The goal of the measure is to make participation in campaign financing more equitable. Oakland Rising-- one of the main supporters of the initiative, says it will shift the current power imbalance in elections funding. Voters will now see greater transparency in who funds elections. At the same time, all Oakland residents will have a chance to contribute toward a candidate of their choice.
The initiative is the first of its kind in the State of California, making statewide news.
The community-led Public Ethics Commission will oversee the program’s rollout. Now, they’re tasked with public outreach: letting Oaklanders know about the program. After that, the commission, and the city, will start tracking the info to make sure that the program is working to even the playing field of who gets to participate in financing candidates.
Voters will receive their first democracy dollars by next election cycle.
