Democracy For All Video Challenge Gives Americans Platform to Protest Billions of Dollars Spent on Elections

WASHINGTON – With the 2016 presidential race in full swing and more than 85 percent of Americans wanting to see a change in the way political campaigns are funded, an online video competition is encouraging people to express their views on big money in politics. The Democracy For All Video Challenge, spearheaded by Say No To Big Money and People For the American Way, selects a different best video every week from submissions made by people across the country.

The video selected this week was made by Tomas Gaspar, a sophomore at Lake Michigan College majoring in pre-nursing. Gaspar’s video shows voters being turned away from the ballot box unless they have money to donate and highlights the frustration felt by Americans who feel they are being shut out of the political process.

“I decided to produce a video because it gave me the opportunity to express my own views as well as providing a chance to influence other people, and I found that to be very powerful,” said Gaspar. “We have so many tools at our disposal to reach others; I think people need to take a more active role in communicating about important issues."

The video can be viewed at www.democracyforall.com/entries/greedy_ballot_box. All of the winning videos to-date are available to view at www.democracyforall.com/winners. People can enter the video challenge by submitting 30-90 second videos between now and Dec. 2. Full details are available at www.DemocracyForAll.com.

“Instead of telling people how they should think, we are letting people tell us what they think,” said Jeff Haggin, president of Say No To Big Money which created the video challenge. “We want to engage people in the political process and not preach to them; this video challenge gives people an opportunity to express how they feel with the hope that it will be a call to action for others.”

The Democracy For All Video Challenge was created by Say No To Big Money and People For the American Way to tap into the creative potential of people in the United States who support a constitutional amendment that would allow for reasonable limits to be set on money in elections. A panel of judges selects the most impactful videos with $1,000 being awarded to the best video each week. At the conclusion of the video challenge, five best in category videos will be awarded $5,000 each, with $25,000 being awarded to the best overall video. Rather than hire an advertising agency to produce the spots, the sponsor organizations developed the Video Challenge to enable the true voice of Americans to be heard and give people across the country a chance to earn money for their efforts.

The Democracy For All Amendment, currently being considered by Congress with 138 cosponsors in the House and 41 supporters in the Senate, would overturn decisions such as Citizens United, the 2010 Supreme Court case that paved the way for unlimited political spending by corporations and the super wealthy. 

People For the American Way (PFAW) is dedicated to making the promise of America real for every American. That means equality. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. The right to seek justice in a court of law. The right to cast a vote that counts. The American Way. Our vision is a vibrantly diverse democratic society in which everyone is treated equally under the law, given the freedom and opportunity to pursue their dreams, and encouraged to participate in our nation’s civic and political life. More information is available at www.PFAW.org.

Say No To Big Money is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation for the public benefit with the mission of supporting the ratification of the Democracy For All Amendment that will regulate campaign contributions. Say No To Big Money is nonpartisan and does not promote or take sides on any political issues nor endorse candidates or elections. More information is available at www.SayNoToBigMoney.com.

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