Polarizing Candidates Could Get Cash Boost From Democratic Voting Bill
- Candidates could get a 600% match for donations of up to $200
- Bill to limit big donors, but small donors give to partisans
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Democrats in Congress are trying to increase the clout of small donors, yet a provision in their voting-rights legislation risks favoring candidates from either party who hold polarizing views and widening ideological divisions on Capitol Hill.
As part of the sweeping voting-rights bill, House candidates who opt into public financing would get a 600% match for individual contributions of as much as $200, a move intended to lessen the power of deep-pocketed backers. Small-dollar donors, however, tend to give more to candidates who draw national attention as firebrands -- meaning the provision could end up rewarding partisanship.