CCNM Executive Director Viki Harrison
CCNM News:
Research and Polling for Common Cause New Mexico (CCNM) recently conducted a poll, which revealed voters want to see ethics and finance reforms in election campaigns.
A poll conducted Jan. 9-13 revealed registered voters are wary of lobbyists and anonymous contributors and support campaign finance and ethics reforms. Approximately 450 randomly selected voters – both Republicans and Democrats – responded to a telephone survey, which has a 4.5 percent margin of error.
“The results of this poll confirm what we’ve been saying for several years, namely that everyone deserves to know who is lobbying and paying for the campaigns of our elected officials, and everyone should be held accountable for their actions,” said Viki Harrison, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico.
Almost two-thirds of the respondents stated that New Mexico elected officials are more responsive to lobbyists than voters and want political contributions from individuals limited. Specifically, 64 percent stated New Mexico’s elected officials are more responsive to lobbyists compared to 19 percent that stated elected officials are more responsive to voters. Additionally, 63 percent of the poll’s respondents said they support limits on the amount of money individuals can contribute to candidates and 68 percent said contribution limits to candidates help prevent corruption.
Additionally, poll results showed respondents favored more transparency measures for candidates and lobbyists. In fact, 92 percent support requiring all large political contributions from individuals, corporations, political act committees, nonprofits and unions be made public. The poll revealed 88 percent support a bill in this year’s session to require independent political groups to report their donors and how the money is being spent; also, 89 percent think it is a good idea to require lobbyists to make public the bills and issues they have been hired to lobby on.
When it comes to public financing of campaigns, now in effect on the state level for the Public Regulation Commission, the state Court of Appeals and Supreme Court: 76 percent support revising the system to prohibit unopposed candidates from receiving public funds; 61 percent want to change the system to provide matching funds to candidates who agree to raise only contributions under $100; and 50 percent want to expand the voluntary system to include candidates for other judicial races.
The poll further revealed in other results relating to bills in the 2015 session that 86 percent favor an independent ethics commission; 82 percent support a two- year pause before legislators become paid lobbyists; and 68 percent favor an independent redistricting commission to redraw district lines each decade, rather than legislators.
Asked whether these issues were voting issues, 59 percent of respondents said they were more likely to support a candidate who pushes for campaign finance and ethics reforms.
Common Cause New Mexico strives to ensure government is open, honest and accountable. It also urges the public to make its voice be heard in the political process.