The consequence of financial elites getting such special treatment is that the public’s trust in government will continue to erode. Reform has never been more urgent.

As my Brennan Center colleagues have noted, there are currently roughly 15,000 applications for commutations and pardons pending at DOJ. Those should be the priority. www.brennancenter.org/media/7083/d...

Politicized pardons and favorable legal treatment certainly did not start with Trump. But the scale and frequency of these decisions over the past year have been unprecedented.

This is only the latest example of a pardon or other favorable legal treatment going to one of the President’s benefactors. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Moreover, Binance is a key player in the crypto industry, an industry that has donated heavily to Trump’s campaign and inauguration. (There’s no record of Binance specifically contributing to the inaugural fund.) www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Up next: NYC voters can show they are ready to bring this policy to their communities by voting for Proposal 6 this fall to move city elections to even years. Doing so will show Albany they too want an even-year system, with all the benefits of a more inclusive democracy.

Experience across the country shows that this policy boosts turnout + promotes participation by a more representative electorate. Communities across NYS deserve to experience these benefits, and starting next year, many voters will.

Leaders in Albany must listen to what the majority of voters want ahead of the 2026 cycle and fund this historic system so it can deliver the responsive government which communities across New York want and deserve.

Voters' strong backing of public financing follows the program’s successful first run, where candidates relied much more on local, everyday New Yorkers – demonstrating an alternative path forward from last year's billionaire-funded elections elsewhere. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

The poll from @dataforprogress.org & @citizenactionny.bsky.social also found that 89% of voters are concerned w/ the influence of wealthy donors in NY politics + two-thirds want lawmakers to prioritize countering this influence. That includes funding the new program (62% of voters support doing so).

What’s next: the Commission will meet on July 21 to finalize the ballot language. With such a proposal on this year’s ballot, NYC voters will have the opportunity to show they are ready to see the pro-voter results of moving low-turnout city elections to even-numbered years in their communities.

Moving city elections from odd to even-numbered years can address this problem head-on. Experience across the country shows that this policy boosts turnout + promotes participation by a more representative electorate. NYC deserves to experience these benefits. www.brennancenter.org/media/13920/...

Take 2023: only 12.8% of eligible NYC voters cast a ballot in November for all City Council races, with only 6.1% of young voters and an even lower rate for voters of color in certain neighborhoods. www.nyccfb.info/pdf/2023_Vot...

Odd-year elections contribute to New York’s dismal voter turnout in city elections, which particularly affects young voters + voters of color.

We need to keep moving toward a democracy that works for all New Yorkers, not just the wealthy few. @governor.ny.gov, @leaderasc.bsky.social, & @speakercarlheastie.bsky.social must keep their commitment to this vital program in the budget negotiations ahead.

These findings show New Yorkers – both candidates and everyday donors – embraced a path forward where ordinary constituents who make small donations are at the center of campaign fundraising.

With the Governor’s and lawmakers’ support, the program flourished. In 2024, small donations up to $250 leaped from 5% of overall funding to 45% when including matching funds. Donations from big money groups decreased from 72% of funding in 2022 to 38%. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

This isn’t the first time we’re hearing about this potentially destructive change. In 2023, Gov. Hochul vetoed the proposal, saying it “would effectively reduce the impact of small donors on elections, in direct contravention” of the program’s purpose. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

As is, the program only allows matching funds for donations up to $250. One supposed change would allow matching funds for the first $250 of large donations up to the max campaign contribution limit. This could be as large as $18,000 for statewide races. www.newsday.com/news/region-...