There are a lot of ways to show your patriotism this Fourth of July. You can deck out in your red-white-and-blue best. You can wave sparklers or shoot off fireworks (not recommended). You can watch Joey Chestnut pound down Nathan’s Famous hot dogs on ESPN (definitely not recommended). Or you can do something to actually…
April 25, 2019—Voters’ Right to Know today announces its endorsement of two new bills under consideration by the California Legislature that would be major steps forward in bringing greater transparency to the sources of political spending in the state. AB 1217, the Issue Ad DISCLOSE Act, sponsored by Kevin Mullin, would require that lobbying issue ads—that is, ads…
April 10, 2019—Voters’ Right to Know is proud to announce its endorsement of Arizona’s proposed Outlaw Dirty Money amendment. The amendment would give the people of Arizona a right to know the original sources of money being spent to influence their elections, requiring groups making campaign media expenditures to disclose their sources of major funding. Full…
A group of Arizona voters is once again preparing to trudge up the slopes of Mount Everest. On roller skates. With hurricane force winds blowing smack into their faces. Translation: they’re going to take another run at “dark money” – specifically on lifting the shroud on the people and groups that are secretly spending big money to buy…
Armed with volunteers and 15 months until a deadline, former Attorney General Terry Goddard launched a new bid Tuesday to end “dark money” anonymous donations to Arizona political campaigns. The initiative would create a “right to know” provision in the Arizona Constitution requiring public disclosure of the name and address of any individual who has…
On Tuesday, voters in North Dakota won a landmark victory against dark-money political spending in their state. With 54% support, voters passed Measure 1, a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment establishing a new right to know the true, original sources of money being spent to influence North Dakota elections and government. Measure 1 was placed on the 2018 ballot in…
Eight months after Tempe voters chose to shine a light on dark money in political spending, Phoenix voters approved a similar measure, setting up a potential legal showdown with the state. About 87 percent of Phoenix voters said yes to Proposition 419, which is a copycat of a similar move made by Tempe voters. The…
The decision is final: A citizens initiative that aimed to eliminate “dirty money,” or anonymous political spending, in Arizona elections won’t appear on the Nov. 6 ballot. In a ruling Wednesday afternoon, the Arizona Supreme Court ordered that the “Outlaw Dirty Money Act” not appear on the ballot because supporters didn’t submit enough valid voter signatures to qualify. The order…
Last Thursday, just one day after America celebrated its anniversary of independence, Arizona voters took a monumental stand to reclaim their democracy from special interests in a grassroots campaign that should inspire us all. Persevering through the intense heat of Arizona’s summer sun, thousands of volunteers collected and turned in 285,768 signatures in an effort…
June 8, 2018 – On Tuesday, voters in San Francisco passed Proposition E, a ballot measure instituting a first-in-the-nation ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products. Proposition E passed with 68% support, despite campaign spending by opposition groups that dwarfed spending by supporters. The Money Behind Proposition E The “No on Proposition E” campaign,…
The health and integrity of our democracy depend critically on the ability of voters to make informed decisions at the ballot box and hold their elected officials accountable. This means that as voters consider the many messages seeking to influence the way they vote and engage with government, they must be able to know the…
A Report from MapLight in partnership with Voters’ Right To Know examines the lack of regulation around online political advertising and proposes concrete recommendations to improve transparency. Read the document
