On Tuesday, the Illinois Senate voted to confirm the passage of Senate Bill 1424, the Small Donor Democracy Matching System for Fair Elections Act (the “Fair Elections Act”) by a margin of 31 to 23. This measure’s small donor matching system would enable ordinary people to compete with the wealthy political donors who otherwise dominate our broken campaign financing system. As the bill’s sponsor, Illinois Senator Daniel Biss explained, “everyone who is frustrated today by the influence that corporations and billionaires wield over politicians and the policy decisions they make should support the concept of small donor matching.” During the last election, we watched campaign spending in this state spiral out of control with nine local statehouse races exceeding $2 million in contributions,” said Jay Young, Common Cause Illinois’s Political Director. At a cost of only $2 per Illinois resident per year, this legislation would provide an optional campaign financing system for candidates who statewide races in Illinois, including governor, attorney general, comptroller, treasurer, secretary of state, state senators and state representatives. Under the program small donors’ contributions could receive a 6-to-1 match from a special fund, up to the first $150 of a qualifying contribution. The Fair Elections Act now moves on to the House, where Representative Kelley Cassidy will be the bill’s primary sponsor.