Fix Democracy First
Mission: To achieve fair elections and government policies that reflect the will of the people and not the power of money.
Fix Democracy First (FDF) believes in the value of public financing of campaigns as a way to liberate politicians, give power back to the average citizen, and invigorate democracy. Since 2001, FDF has been working towards its dream of a clean elections law in Washington state, similar to such laws passed in Maine and Arizona.
Current Democracy Work
Guided by its mission, FDF is currently campaigning and encouraging people to vote yes in November 2016 on I-735, an initiative urging Congress to begin the process for a U.S. constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and stop the undue influence of corporations and money in our political system. In addition, it is supporting the Washington Government Accountability Act (I-1464), also on the November ballot. FDF builds citizen and grassroots support for relevant legislation and initiatives and for follow up after they pass.
Recent Successes
FDF helped pass legislation to overturn a statewide ban on public financing of campaigns in 2015. This then allowed for the passage of Honest Elections Seattle last November 2015, for which FDF campaign volunteers played a huge role! It also helped collect the 330,000 signatures needed to get I-735 on the ballot.
Your Entry Points
Write to your elected officials to limit super PAC contributions and coordination, to end secret money, and to pass other democracy reforms. Volunteer for the campaign to support I-735 and I-1464 by calling voters, collecting voter commitment cards, attending candidate forums, and more. Join a Fix Democracy First committee and help out at special events. Love to write? Write letters to the editor and op/eds in your local paper. Join Fix Democracy First's mailing list to get the latest updates on FDF’s work to get money out of politics. Educate and inspire yourself to take action by learning more about the issue of big money in politics with FDF’s numerous online resources.