** The Advertising Onslaught Is Just Beginning ([link removed])
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LANSING (Sept. 25, 2020) — The election is here, and it’s here to stay.

Early voting officially began in Michigan Thursday, and more than a third of eligible voters have requested absentee ballots. Some lihttps://mcfn.org/node/7404/the-advertising-onslaught-is-just-beginningkely already have their ballots or have voted in person at their local clerk’s office.

It's the most crucial period to influence voters and drive turnout. Michiganders know it; the advertisements are unavoidable. True to most predictions, this election is already shattering previous spending records in Michigan with a true deluge of spending, according to spending data from Advertising Analytics analyzed by the Michigan Campaign Finance Network (MCFN)

There will likely be more than $100 million in presidential ad spending this cycle, with more than $25 million to be spent in the coming month, if Michigan remains in play and reserved airtime holds.

The U.S. Senate race is poised to double the cost of the last cycle’s total spending in that election with broadcast ad spending alone. That 2018 total, $36.5 million, was passed at the end of August. And there are many more ways campaigns and dark money groups can and have spent.
For the full report, click here. ([link removed])

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Also: Despite The Pandemic, Lobbyists Are Still Buying Pricey Meals For Legislators ([link removed])
Lobbyist spending on food and beverages for state officials is near an all-time low since digital records began, according to filings with the Secretary of State.

Lobbyists reported spending $221,429 so far this year on meals, according to data from the Michigan Department of State. The only recorded year with lower spending was in 2001, where they spent $209,202 in the same time period. In 2019, by contrast, that total was $578,262.

In the first seven months of 2020, less than a quarter of that spending was reported as tied to a specific official, $47,863. However, that figure was lower just six years ago, in 2014.
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Want to help MCFN follow the money in Michigan politics? Send us your mail! ([link removed])
[link removed]
MCFN and MLive want your help tracking the money behind the political mail filling your mailbox.
Contributing is easy:
1. Take legible photos of both sides of the entire mailer.
2. Send the photos to [email protected]. Let us know what race it's for.
3. That’s it! MLive and MCFN will use submissions to track where and how money is being spent to influence voters throughout the state, particularly in hotly-contested elections.


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Friend,

This pandemic has meant more people spending more time at home in front of screens. Amid an election season it's a ripe opportunity for dark money organizations using digital advertising to spread their message. As the amount of content booms, MCFN relies on your support to continue this work. Please consider a donation today to support our efforts.

Simon D. Schuster
Executive Director
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