Washington, D.C.—The Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) approval of campaign contributions via text message today is a common sense decision that can enhance the voice of small donors in a political system increasingly dominated by the wealthiest Americans, said national campaign finance watchdog Public Campaign.

“With billionaires and super PACs drowning out the voices of hardworking Americans, text message campaign contributions can enhance the role of small donors and, combined with public matching funds, could provide a megaphone for the masses,” said Nick Nyhart, president and CEO of Public Campaign. “The FEC did the right thing today.”

Public Campaign, along with nine other organizations, called on the FEC to approve the measure. According to the letter submitted June 5, 2012:

“Small donors are a critical component of our democratic process, and technology can play a crucial role in helping to empower the voices of more Americans. More than 30 million Americans have texted a contribution to a charitable cause, and many people would likely text a donation to a political candidate if the practice is enabled [at the federal level].

The nine other organizations that signed the letter to the FEC include: Campaign Legal Center, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Communications Workers of America (CWA), Democracy Matters, Demos, Public Citizen, Rootstrikers, United Republic, and U.S. PIRG.

Last Wednesday, Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.) and 14 of her colleagues—Reps. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), Donna Edwards (D-Md.), Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Sam Farr (D-Calif.), Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), John Lewis (D-Ga.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Jared Polis (D-Colo.), David Price (D-N.C.), John Sarbanes (D-Md.), and Ed Towns (D-N.Y.)—sent a similar letter in support of the measure.

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Public Campaign is a national nonpartisan organization that fights to raise the voices of everyday people in our democracy through changing our campaign finance laws and through holding elected.