To illustrate how Clean Elections work, let’s assume that you had decided to run for City Council, the Clean Election law was in place, and you wanted to run “Clean.” You would have to do 4 things to accomplish that purpose:

1) You would gather 300 signatures on your petition from people in your election district who backed your candidacy.

2) As evidence of their genuine support for you, they would each also give you a check for $5, drawn to The Commissioner of Elections.

3) You would take your petition and your 300 checks to the Commissioner, and tell him you want to become a Clean Candidate. The Commissioner would deposit your 300 checks into the Clean Elections Fund. (The amount deposited has no relationship to the amount you will receive to finance your campaign.)

4) You would also be given a contract to sign. In it you would make the following legal and binding promises:

A) “I agree not to accept any further campaign contributions from any other source.”

B) “I agree to spend no more of my own money on the campaign.”

C) “I agree to participate in two debates during the primary election campaign period.”

D) “If I make it through the primary, I agree to participate in at least three more debates during the period leading up to the general election.”

E) “I agree to keep an accurate record of all my campaign expenditures, and to return to the Clean Elections Fund any balance left in my campaign fund at the end of the campaign.”

At that point, you are a certified Clean Candidate. You will receive a check for one half of the amount that has been allocated for Clean Candidates to run their total campaign, which amount you will use in the primary. If you are successful in the primary, you will then receive a check for the other half of your total funding, which you may spend during the general election period. If you win your contest, you will arrive in your elected office owing favors to no one except the constituents you are sworn to represent.

And that’s it! Simple, effective, and Clean!

This is not a new, untested idea. Maine and Arizona already have a Clean Elections system in place, and in both states it is running successfully and smoothly. Other states have also recently passed Clean Elections laws. It’s an idea whose time has come!