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Austin, Texas, Proposition H, Funding for Public Campaign Finance Program (May 2021)
| Austin Proposition H | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date May 1, 2021 | |
| Topic Local charter amendments and Local elections and campaigns | |
Status Defeated | |
| Type Initiative | Origin Citizens |
Austin Proposition H was on the ballot as an initiative in Austin on May 1, 2021. It was defeated.
A "yes" vote supported amending the city's charter to adopt a public campaign finance program that provides up to two $25 vouchers to registered voters to contribute to campaigns of qualifying candidates. |
A "no" vote opposed amending the city's charter to adopt a public campaign finance program that provides up to two $25 vouchers to registered voters to contribute to campaigns of qualifying candidates. |
A simple majority was required for the approval of Proposition H.
Election results
|
Austin Proposition H |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 65,553 | 42.76% | ||
|
|
87,734 | 57.24% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Proposition H was as follows:
| “ | Shall the City Charter be amended to adopt a public campaign finance program, which requires the city clerk to provide up to two $25 vouchers to every registered voter who may contribute them to candidates for city office who meet the program requirements? | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Support
Austinites for Progressive Reform led the Yes on H campaign in support of Proposition H.[1]
Arguments
- Yes on H campaign website said, "Democracy Dollars permit more voices to be heard. In the first year of the program, the number of residents who donated vouchers was more than twice the number of residents who donated cash. Democracy Dollars increase donor diversity. Women, people of color, people earning under $100,000, and young people were all more represented among voucher users than cash donors. ... Democracy Dollars allow more people to run for office. Nearly 50% of candidates surveyed reported that they would not have run but for the program, and others said the program was a factor in their decision."[1]
Campaign advertisements
The following video was released by Yes on H:[2]
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Opposition
If you are aware of any opponents or opposing arguments, please send an email with a link to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Opponents
- Austin Chamber of Commerce[3]
Background
History of local public campaign finance programs
In 2015, Seattle, Washington, became the first jurisdiction in the United States to pass a law implementing “democracy dollars.” The measure was approved as an initiative, titled Initiative 122. The measure established a voucher system by which all Seattle voters will be given four $25 vouchers that they may give to a candidate or candidates of their choosing, provided the candidate adheres to certain campaign contribution limits.
In 2019, Albuquerque, New Mexico rejected Proposition 2, which would have implemented "democracy dollars" according to the same system used in Seattle. Proposition 2 was defeated with 51.25% of voters voting against it.
Austinites for Progressive Reform sponsored four other initiatives that appeared on Austin ballots on May 1, 2021.
- Proposition D: Designed to align mayoral elections with presidential election years instead of gubernatorial elections years beginning in 2024, meaning the mayor elected in 2022 would only serve a two-year term
- Proposition E: Designed to enact ranked-choice voting once state law authorized it
- Proposition F: Designed to change city governance from a council-manager system to a mayor-council system, thereby eliminating the position of the city manager and making the mayor the chief executive of the city
- Proposition G: Designed to add an additional city council district, thereby increasing the total number of city council members from 10 to 11
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a successful indirect initiative petition drive. In Austin, to place an initiated charter amendment on the ballot petitioners must collect 5% of qualified voters of the city or 20,000, whichever number is the smaller. As of January 2021, the number of qualified voters in Travis County was 553,166, and 5% of the qualified voters was 27,658.[4]
On January 11, Austinites for Progressive Reform, the campaign sponsoring Proposition H, Proposition D, Proposition E, Proposition F, and Proposition G, submitted 24,000 signatures in support of all four petitions. On January 26, the city clerk certified the petition has sufficient. On February 9, 2021, the Austin City Council voted to certify the initiatives to the ballot.[5]
See also
External links
Support |
OppositionSubmit links to editor@ballotpedia.org. |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Yes on H, "Home," accessed March 8, 2021
- ↑ YouTube, "Democracy Dollars: Austinities for Progressive Reform," accessed March 9, 2021
- ↑ Austin Chamber of Commerce, "May 2021 City of Austin propositions voter guide," accessed April 5, 2021
- ↑ Austintexas.gov, "General Information: Initiative, Referendum, and Recall," accessed March 8, 2021
- ↑ KVUE, "Austin City Council votes to let voters decide on 'strong mayor' government proposal on May ballot," February 9, 2021
