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Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz has proposed plans for a new public campaign finance system that she and her supporters say could bring more varied candidates to the ballot.

(Susan Green/Staff)

Julia Meier and Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons

This election cycle, one thing is obvious: Voters are fed up with our broken political system that isn't working for everyone. Here in Portland, we have a system where entire communities have almost no representation in our city government.

We have an opportunity to change that. We can change how we run our elections for the better, so that everyone has an equal chance to run for office and an equal say in the future of this city we all love. A proposal before the City Council called the "Open and Accountable Elections Act" would give our communities more paths to participate in our government. This is much-needed reform that we should not wait to pass.

Right now, we have an out-of-balance system that throws up barriers preventing people -- particularly people of color and women -- from running for office or even having their voices heard in our city government. Just look at who represents us in City Hall. One in three people in Portland are from communities of color, yet we've only had two people of color ever serve on City Council. The majority of our residents are women, yet only seven women have ever served on the Council. Nearly 60 percent of the population lives east of 47th avenue, while only two residents have ever served from this part of Portland.

The problem is that to be elected you need networks of wealthy donors willing to cut five-figure checks to your campaign. And that leaves people from marginalized backgrounds out in the cold.

That's why communities of color have joined together with working people, small business owners, students, democracy advocates, environmentalists and other residents to form a coalition called A Voice for All Portland. We represent tens of thousands of residents and voters, and call on the City Council to pass the "Open and Accountable Elections" reform this November. This reform will keep our government accountable to all Portland residents while increasing the opportunity for leaders from diverse communities to serve on City Council.

Here's how it would work: If a candidate for city office can show a broad base of community support and volunteers to cap donations from wealthy donors or special interests at $250, their donations of $50 or less from Portlanders will be matched six times with limited public funds. Under this program, a restaurant worker who can't afford to give a lot or a senior who lives on a fixed income would see their $50 donation become $350 of support -- giving them more of a say in the political process.

We know that our city is strongest when our elected City Council reflects the full range of talent and lived experience that Portland has to offer. "Open and Accountable Elections" creates new pathways to get us there by allowing candidates to run and win office by only taking small donations from people like you and me. We need to break down the barriers money creates, so that the people with the best ideas -- not the biggest wallets -- can run and win office.

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Unlike Portland's old "voter-owned elections" program, "Open and Accountable Elections" is a strong, proven approach that has demonstrated success in broadening participation in places like New York City. Under the system created by the "Open and Accountable Elections Act," a candidate has the incentive to campaign in every neighborhood in Portland. That means candidates can spend more time listening to the concerns of students, renters, working families, communities of color and every kind of resident -- not just the ones with the deepest pockets.

Voters have been clear that they are fed up with big money in politics, and there's strong public support in Portland for this reform. We elected our lawmakers to work on solutions.

"Open and Accountable Elections" is the reform we need. This is how we raise our voices and make sure that every Portlander, not just the wealthy and well-connected, has a seat at the table.

The City Council should pass this reform and put our democracy back in balance.

Julia Meier is executive director of the Coalition for Communities of Color and Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons is executive director for the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon.