logo
Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Do many countries publicly fund elections?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
YES

Nearly 70% of 180 countries looked at by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance provide some degree of public funding to political parties, including for elections. About 28% offer none.

The amount of public funding offered varies widely. In a 2016 selection of the 34 member countries then members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, public funding as a percentage of party income ranged from 85% in Belgium to 35% in the U.K.

In the U.S., while limited public campaign financing is available for federal and some state elections, most candidates opt out, given that private fundraising is typically more financially advantageous, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Public election funding advocates such as the Brennan Center for Justice argue that strengthening public election financing would:

  • Reduce the political influence of private donors.
  • Allow less wealthy and well-connected individuals to compete.
  • Increase racial diversity among candidates.
  • Expand voter engagement.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance Are there provisions for direct public funding to political parties?
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Financing democracy: Funding of political parties and election campaigns and the risk of policy capture
National Conference of State Legislatures Public financing of campaigns: Overview
Brennan Center for Justice More than Combating Corruption: The Other Benefits of Public Financing
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.