Maine has been a leader in the effort to get big money out of elections. Through a citizen initiative passed in 1996, Maine established the Clean Election Act, a process through which qualified candidates for gubernatorial or state legislative races can choose to refrain from typical private fundraising and instead receive public funding to support their election efforts. A candidate must agree not to accept any private monetary contributions and also must show support from his or her constituents by raising adequate “qualifying contributions” of five dollars each. The public financing money they receive is modest but fully adequate to run an effective campaign for office.

The system has been very popular. In various election cycles, as many as 88 percent of our state’s representatives and senators have chosen to go this route. Public opinion polls year after year show overwhelming public support for Clean Elections.

In campaigns where one candidate chose to be a “clean election candidate” but the opposing candidate decided instead to raise money from individuals and political action committees, the system could have left the publicly-financed candidate at a disadvantage. To deal with this, the Clean Elections system disbursed additional dollars to Clean Elections candidates who were outspent by traditionally financed candidates. That created a level playing field and ensured that all voices could be heard.

Alas, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in 2011 that a similar provision in Arizona’s Clean Elections system was an infringement on the free speech rights of the traditional candidate, and struck down that portion of the law. Maine’s “matching funds” provision fell soon after. Following that decision a Clean Elections candidate could be badly outspent and thus handicapped in his or her race. It is no surprise that the number of candidates for state legislative offices choosing to run as Clean Elections candidates has dipped significantly.

Something needs to be done.

Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, the group who authored and promoted the original system, has worked with a diverse group of Mainers to develop a different approach, one which is permissible under the Constitution. Under this approach, a Clean Elections candidate will have the option of gathering extra five dollar qualifying contributions to become eligible for supplemental funding, so he or she will be able to keep pace if being outspent by a traditionally financed opponent.

When you go to vote on Election Day, you will be invited to sign a petition to put this alternative approach on a future ballot to be voted on by the citizens of this state. This ballot initiative several provisions to make our election system more transparent and accountable. It also includes a funding mechanism that requires cuts to wasteful corporate tax giveaway programs.

The Maine affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union recently announced that it supports this initiative. That is significant, because it underscores that measures like this are fully consistent with the basic values protected by the First Amendment while also protecting against corruption and empowering ordinary people in our democracy.

I am a past president of ACLU of Maine, and am delighted that the group has decided to support efforts to ensure that all voices have an adequate chance to be heard. In my view, the role money plays in influencing elections has become a blight upon our democratic processes, one that desperately needs to be corrected. That is why I will spend part of Election Day at the polls collecting signatures to support this ballot initiative.

I encourage every Maine citizen to support these efforts to strengthen our Clean Elections process by signing when asked by a Maine Citizens for Clean Elections volunteer. Our state has been the nation’s leader in working to get the influence of big money out of the political process. Support for this ballot initiative is an important step forward in that work.

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Cushman D. Anthony is a resident of Falmouth and a former State Representative.