Democracy North Carolina: Public Financing Advocates

Updated June 3, 2009

Mission
Democracy NC’s mission is “to fulfill the promise of ‘one person, one vote,’ the bedrock principle of equal rights and self-determination.” The organization believes that “the people of North Carolina deserve a government that is truly by the people and for the people — one that is committed to the public good.”

History
In the early 1990s, the "North Carolina Money in Politics Project," current Democracy NC Executive Director Bob Hall and Democracy South’s Executive Director Pete McDowell, along with others, began collectively exploring how to create public financing at the state level. In the late 1990's, as this effort began gaining more financial support, the staff was expanded while organizing around this issue intensified. In 2002, public financing for judicial races was passed as part of the Judicial Campaign Reform Act.

At the beginning of 2003, Democracy South's "North Carolina Money in Politics Project" changed its name to Democracy NC. Subsequently Democracy NC began concentrating on reforming the electoral process. They continued to work to implement the judicial campaign reform program and to expand public financing to more races, such as for Council of State positions. In addition, they expanded their work in the area of voting rights and played an instrumental role in passage of the law to allow Same-Day Registration and Voting in 2007, which they then helped implement throughout the 2008 election.

Programs & Issues
Democracy NC's stated goal is “a more vital democracy that fulfills the promise of ‘one person, one vote.’” The organization is committed to campaign-finance reforms that give voters greater control of elections, including: (a) public disclosure of political contributions; (b) stronger enforcement of existing election laws; (c) dealing with sham issue ads, soft money and similar election concerns; and (d) promoting a public-financing program for elections across the state. In addition, Democracy NC is committed to expanding voter participation in elections and ensuring that every vote is properly counted.

According to their website, Democracy NC’s strategy “to achieve meaningful reform involves engaging citizens in the process of being active owners of the election system.” Their work at the grassroots level “aims to develop local and statewide networks of informed citizens who are willing to pursue and defend meaningful pro-democracy policies.” The organization’s research and public education program disseminates their election-related findings to these networks both directly and indirectly. Their efforts for a “coordinated, effective, racially and politically diverse reform effort in North Carolina” flow from the following two program arms.

Voters and Voting Rights
Democracy NC works to make voting more accessible and meaningful for young people and others by dealing with the following issues:

• Same-Day Registration
• Felon Re-Enfranchisement
• Instant Runoff Voting
• Help America Vote Act
• Voter's Bill of Rights
• Renew the Voting Rights Act
• Protect Out of Precinct Voting

Money and Campaign Reform
Democracy NC believes that the constant pressure of campaign fund-raising serves to undermine democracy. The organization feels that the money chase by state elected officials tends to discourage worthy candidates, repel voters and discourage small donors. Democracy NC proposes a public source of "clean" money for candidates and in doing so focuses on the following specific areas of concern:

• Voter-Owned Elections (HB120 - 2009)
• Judicial Campaign Reform
• Pilot Public Financing for Legislative Elections
• Council of State Public Financing
• Lobby & Ethics Reform

Background
Democracy NC participates in such state coalitions as North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections, North Carolina Coalition for Lobbying & Government Reform and North Carolina Coalition for Same-Day Registration.

Some Democracy NC board members also serve the on the board of North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections. Both of these organizations are concerned with issues related to campaign finance reform. Democracy NC financially supports the non-lobbying educational activities of North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections that are consistent with Democracy NC's 501(c) (3) purpose, providing a grant to them in during their 2007 fiscal year in amount of $33,002.

Annual budget
Democracy NC’s annual budget totals approximately $800,000. According to their 2007 IRS Form 990, they received gifts and grants in the amount of $709,325 with $614,586 in expenses, including $277, 889 in salaries and $75,509 in compensation for executive director Bob Hall.  Assets totaled $213,049.  The organization reported $37,816 in lobbying expenditures, falling within the legal limits.

Major donors over the past few years have included Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Educational Foundation of America and the JEHT Foundation. They receive about 20 percent of their funding from individuals and individual-advised funds in community foundations.

Staff and governance
Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy North Carolina, has been working with grassroots organizations in North Carolina since 1970. He oversees the work of nine additional staff members.

The board of directors is comprised of 13 members drawn from all across the state. Natalie Watson, an attorney from Rocky Mount, serves as the board chair.

Summary
Democracy NC and its allies reported a number of breakthroughs during the 2008 general election season.

• North Carolina led the nation with the biggest increase in voter turnout—70 percent compared to 64 percent in 2004.
• North Carolina was the first state in the South and the largest state population-wise in the nation to allow voter registration and voting on the same day.
• More than one million African Americans voted in the state.
• Eleven of the 12 candidates in contested races for the North Carolina Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals qualified for public financing.

Democracy NC intends to continue its work to increase voter participation and decrease special interest influence in the coming years as expressed below in their 2009-2010 legislative agenda:

• Expand voter-owned elections - Protect and expand current public campaign financing programs to include additional political races. (HB120)
• Create better disclosure and more open government - Enhanced disclosure of contributions by political candidates and of campaign donations must be required. Codes of ethical conduct for local officials should be instituted by city and county governments.
• Protect and expand the right to vote - This can be achieved by (a) instituting more “one-stop” voting locations and expanding early voting hours on weekends, (b) simplifying and improving Same-Day Registration, (c) enhancing poll worker training, (d) assisting ex-felons in understanding their voting rights, (e) including the President in “straight party” voting, (f) banning restricted polling sites for early voting and (g) providing military men and women better access to the voting process.
• Increase youth voter engagement - Strategies to boost registration and turnout of young people should be developed and implemented, including (a) voter registration at Department of Motor Vehicles offices and (b) civics education at high schools.
• Change electoral college voting - The National Popular Vote should be enacted so that the winner of the popular vote nationwide is elected president. (SB417)
• Continue instant run-off voting - Instant Run-Off Voting should be used in local elections as well as in statewide primaries, thus eliminating costly, low turnout run-off elections.

Contact
Bob Hall, Executive Director
Democracy NC
1821 Green Street
Durham, NC 27705
Phone: 919-286-6000
Fax: 919-286-6023
info@democracy-nc.org
www.democracy-nc.org