Transparency in elections is vital to ensure that voters know who is spending money to influence their vote. Wealthy special interests are using secret spending groups and straw donor schemes to prevent them from accessing accurate information about election spending. The 2024 election cycle is no different and is projected to have the highest spending ever from these “dark money” groups and shell companies.
Pop-up super PACs are a particularly deceptive strategy used across the country to manipulate voters. Pop-up super PACs are entities formed shortly before an election that carefully time when they receive and spend donations, so that the donors aren't disclosed until after the election. Voters are kept in the dark about the special interests who are trying to influence the public.
To promote transparency and ensure voters are equipped with adequate information before they vote, Congress must act to protect voters’ right to know who is spending money on elections.
In a related video, Campaign Legal Center's Executive Director Adav Noti shares an overview of the difference between PACs, super PACs and secret money groups and how are they used to hide the true sources of election spending.
CLC Explains
Civic engagement groups empower voters to be part of the political process but their work has come under attack, undermining their critical mission to expand access to democracy and violating their First Amendment rights. CLC's Mannal Haddad and The Voter Participation Center's Tom Lopach explain how these attacks make it harder for civic engagement groups to do this work.
On Tuesday, June 25, at 1 PM, Professor and Author Joshua A. Douglas joins Campaign Legal Center Senior Vice President Paul Smith to discuss his book, "The Court v. The Voters: The Troubling Story of How the Supreme Court Has Undermined Voting Rights."
On June 12, 2024, Campaign Legal Center hosted an event to hear from election officials about the tried-and-tested systems in place to make sure votes are cast fairly and counted correctly. Panelists discussed what they are focused on between now and when voting begins in their states for the general election.
Campaign Legal Center is advancing democracy through law.
The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center is dedicated to advancing democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American’s rights to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process.
