Today New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie released the final state budget for fiscal year 2027, including $116.1 million for the small donor public campaign financing program. The voluntary program uses public funds to match small contributions from local residents to participating candidates. This funding supports the program in its second major election cycle, and the first for which matching funds are available to statewide candidates.
Marina Pino, counsel in the Elections and Government Program, had the following comment:
“Today marks another year of full funding for New York’s small donor program, the country’s strongest legislative response to Citizens United. Leaders in Albany are again proving their commitment to keeping power in the hands of voters. The program will help ensure that lawmakers represent the interests of the people they serve.
“We applaud Governor Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Heastie for delivering on their promises to invest in this program to ensure it keeps delivering benefits to all New Yorkers. At a time when American democracy is under threat, New York is leading the way to empower more voters in the political process.
“We also applaud them for including crucial funding for state and local election administration, including costs for local boards of elections to run this year’s election cycle, as well as the state’s historic voting reforms like the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York. These resources will help keep New York’s elections smooth and secure this fall.”
Patrick Berry, counsel in the Voting Rights and Elections Program, had the following comment:
“We are pleased the budget includes important legislation that would allow New Yorkers to sue federal officials who violate their constitutional rights, demonstrating the state’s commitment to protecting its residents and ensuring federal agents can be held accountable for unlawful conduct.
“In the remaining days of this year’s session, we look forward to working with lawmakers to enact additional protections, including our model bill that would allow New York’s attorney general to prosecute ICE and other federal agents who interfere in elections and the New York Election Officer Protection Act. Such measures would safeguard the election system, the officials who run it, and the voters who engage in it.”
Brennan Center resources
- “New York State’s Public Campaign Financing Program Empowers Constituent Small Donors” (Marina Pino, Celina Avalos Jaramillo, Grady Yuthok Short, and Ian Vandewalker, Brennan Center, February 6, 2025)
- “Poll Shows New Yorkers Continue to Support Public Campaign Finance” (Celina Avalos Jaramillo and Marina Pino, Brennan Center, August 14, 2025)
- “Model Bill: State Accountability for Federal Interference at Polling Places” (Patrick Berry and Derek Tisler, Brennan Center, May 12, 2026)
“How States Can Fill Election Security Gaps Left by Federal Cuts” (Derek Tisler, Brennan Center, July 25, 2025)
