On May 8, theNew Jersey Citizens’ Clean Election Commission urged that the state’s Clean Elections’ program be tripled to six legislative districts next year, while the number of contributions required to qualify should be nearly halved, reported the Courier Post Online.
The Commission’s report examined the experience of last year’s elections, when one out of five pairs of candidates running in two districts qualified for public funding. While candidates were enthusiastic about the program, the number of qualifying contributions required—1,000 $5 contributions and 500 $30 contributions—proved to be a too-tough barrier. The Commission’s other recommendations include:

Lowering the amount and number of contributions to 800 donations of $10.
Expanding the program to the primary and lengthening the qualifying period to Jan. 1 to Aug. 31. Candidates who qualify before the primary are automatically qualified for the general election.
Expand the program to four more districts, in addition to the 6th and 13th.
Provide the same amount of public funds in all districts, rather than have different calculations for each district. Each candidate would get $100,000 for the general election and $60,000 for the primary -- plus up to $250,000 more if running against a nonparticipating candidate and certain criteria are met.
Equal funding for independent or third-party candidates.