Campaign Finance Reform in Alameda

The infusion of large amounts of money can distort the election process in a city our size. Major contributions from special interest groups can put candidates or ballot measures that rely on small dollar contributions from Alameda voters at a disadvantage.
  
The League of Women Voters Alameda has explored many avenues to moderate the impact of money in local politics. Here are the solutions we have adopted or are exploring:

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Inform voters about the source of campaign contributions

• Voters who understand where candidates are getting their campaign money can make informed decisions about whether they think it’s appropriate. We have created and posted on this website easy-to-read graphics that show where the money is coming from and in what amounts. We also list individuals and groups contributing $1,000 or more. You can view the charts for the current and past elections here.
  
  
• We are also looking at whether Alameda needs to strengthen regulations that determine what information about contributions must appear on campaign materials such as ads, mailers and social media posts.

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Reduce the cost of running for office

• A major cost of running for office in Alameda is the amount that the city bills candidates for printing and mailing their statements in the County of Alameda’s Voter Guide. The $4,000 to $5,000 fee can amount to as much as 25% of the average cost of running for office. We recommended to the Mayor that the City absorb some or all of that cost as is done in the Alameda Unified School District and several other local cities. The Mayor determined that capping the fees at $1,000 would address the problem while assuring that candidates were serious enough about running for office to raise some funds. The City Council agreed, passing a resolution to that effect in April 2024.
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• Some larger cities have adopted programs to underwrite a portion of the cost of running for office to reduce the economic barriers and increase candidate and voter participation. Some of these programs involve direct grants to candidates; others fund vouchers that are given to voters who can then contribute them to the candidate(s) of their choice. The state and national League of Women Voters have endorsed these programs and are advocating for them. Our Alameda chapter is studying them to determine if they are a good fit for our community.

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Limit the amount an individual or organization can contribute

• Alameda has never adopted the kinds of campaign contributions limits that many other cities have. In 2022, the California Legislature set a default contribution maximum for cities without limits. We are monitoring the impact of this change to determine if special interests are circumventing the limit by funneling their contributions through Independent Expenditure Committees, which have no spending limits. This happened to some degree in Alameda in the 2022 election and we continue to study this issue to determine if we should pursue stricter contribution limits.