New York state’s new public financing system has the potential to shake up our election system as we know it.

Under this new program, the impact of small-dollar donations can be magnified if candidates opt into the new public financing program. It multiplies the donations of everyday New Yorkers, which adds up and gives us enormous power!

This is a huge deal. The Brennan Center for Justice, who does research on these issues, wrote that a state-wide Public Campaign Finance Program in New York would be “the biggest single response in the nation to the decision in Citizens United.” The “surging public demand for change” is the call for fair, accessible, transparent elections.

This program promotes real representation and helps us elect leaders who share our backgrounds and values. It makes more candidacies possible: more people will be able to afford to run a campaign, and more people will think of themselves as people who can run for office.