We’re led to believe that Americans can’t unite. We’re led to believe that Americans can’t agree, and we’re incapable of coalescing around a single policy issue. While the story we seem to want to write is how America is slipping further away, when it comes to the issue of getting money out of politics, America has come together more united than ever.
Across the nation, support for ending big, outside money is bridging the partisan divide. Last year in Maine, environmentalists stood shoulder-to-shoulder with 2nd Amendment Sportsmen advocates to form a citizen-led coalition united in their opposition to the millions of out-of-state dollars that flooded into Maine during the 2020 elections. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, both legislative chambers spoke in a unified voice in supporting our local efforts to bring the outsized role big money plays in our elections to a Constitutionally mandated end. And across the country, over 830 cities and towns in urban, suburban, and rural corners of America are standing together to restore our democracy and ensure that the people’s voice is no longer drowned out by unregulated campaign spending.
Alaska also seems to be in on the secret. In November, Alaska became the 21st state to call for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to get big money from our elections. In Alaska, like Maine and Virginia, the successful campaign was waged by a citizen-led coalition of Alaskans from across the political spectrum as part of the Alaskans for Better Elections ballot measure.
Recent polling in Alaska reveals that 71% of likely Alaskan voters say they would support the proposed 28th Amendment that would enact reasonable limits on campaign financing by corporations, unions, wealthy individuals and outside money in elections. When broken down by political affiliation, support for the 28th Amendment remains overwhelmingly strong, as it is favored by 72% of Independents, 55% of Republicans and 92% of Democrats.
The 28th Amendment also enjoys widespread support across age and gender. Alaska polling revealed 70% of men and 72% of women support the 28th Amendment.This support remains strong no matter the age group, with g 18-34 year olds supporting at 69%, 35-54 year olds at 65%, and 54-64 year olds at 68%. The oldest voters, those over 65, support the 28th Amendment most consistently at 78%.
Nationally, we know the 28th Amendment enjoys broad cross-partisan support, but what was revealed from the Alaska poll, and from the campaigns waged in Maine and Virginia, is this cross-partisan support is present in the states as well.
