The UNC Common Cause/ Democracy Matters Student Alliance for Campaign Finance Reform is composed of members from organizations including UNC Young Democrats, Student Environmental Action Coalition and Students United for a Responsible Global Environment.
The petition, which contained more than 2,750 student signatures, was presented to Student Body Vice President Rudy Kleysteuber at a press conference on Polk Place.
Kleysteuber said it will take a few days to verify all the signatures before the petition is sent to Student Body President Justin Young, who issues the executive order to put the referendum on the ballot.
If a majority of students vote to support the referendum Feb. 12 the statement will be sent to the N.C. General Assembly to encourage reforms of future state legislative candidate campaigns.
Organizers of the alliance said large campaign contributions are unfair because they give individuals with money a disproportionate amount of political influence. "As students, we don't have money, so we don't have power," said junior Tara Purohit, student organizer of the alliance.
Freshman P.J. Lusk, a member of Young Democrats and the alliance, said students need to be active in the fight for campaign finance reform. Lusk said reform would lead to a reduction in corporate welfare and a more balanced state budget. He said this would leave more state funds for the University and thus eliminate the need for tuition increases.
Members of the alliance spent two weeks canvassing residence halls and approaching students in the Pit and in Lenoir Dining Hall to gather the 2,700 votes needed to place the referendum on the ballot, Purohit said.
Senior Jim Doggett, a member of Young Democrats and the alliance, said he is excited that the referendum could be on the ballot and that he hopes it will convince state legislators to pass an upcoming judicial campaign reform bill.
Purohit said members of the alliance will continue their efforts to inform students about campaign finance reform in the weeks leading up to the election.
