On October 4 Albuquerque residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Open and Ethical Elections Code in an unprecedented 69-31 victory. The win helps remove big money from Albuquerque city politics. The vote and win made the city the first in the country to pass a clean elections measure by popular referendum. The measure provides public funding to qualifying candidates who agree not to accept contributions from individuals or special interests.

The code will work to give more candidates financial access to elections and reduce special interest influence in elections and public policy.

The cost of running a mayoral campaign in Albuquerque is skyrocketing. The two 2001 mayoral candidates spent just over $500,000. This year’s two candidates together have already raised nearly $900,000, and will hit the million dollar mark before Oct. 4. City Council races are also plagued with rising costs.

In 2004, mandatory spending limits were struck down by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. The voluntary limits proposed by the code offer a constitutional option to limit spending and set Albuquerque on the right path to publicly financed, accessible elections.

NMPIRG joins Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and others in support of the code.