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CITIZENS' ELECTION FUND
Help Joan’s Campaign Become Eligible For Up To $85,000
in CEF Matching Funds

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Joan Pontius is running for office using the Howard County Citizens' Election Fund (CEF). This means that Friends of Joan Pontius will not accept donations from special interests. All donations come from residents and are limited to $250 per person. Also, through public financing, every certified donation from a Howard County resident receives matching funds.


This grassroots, people-powered campaign is powered by the citizens of Howard County, like you!

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FAQs

  • What is the Citizens’ Election Fund?

    • The Citizens’ Election Fund (CEF) is a public financing system for elections established for candidates for Howard County Executive and County Council who agree to abide with program requirements to only accept small contributions of between $5 and $250 from individuals. This means that Joan takes no contributions from corporations, limited liability corporations (LLC’s), political action committees, unions, political parties, and similar entities or organizations and groups.

    • The CEF provides matching funds for contributions made by Howard County residents to candidates who have met certain fundraising thresholds. County Council candidates must raise $10,000 from 125 donors. 

    • The CEF is authorized by State Law and was implemented by a Charter Amendment as well as by local law. The purpose of the CEF is to reduce the role of large private contributions in the County electoral process and to encourage small individual contributions instead. The CEF is administered by the Citizens’ Election Fund Commission in conjunction with the Howard County Department of Finance and the State Board of Elections.

  • How does a donation become certified for matching funds?

    • To qualify for matching funds, each donation must be accompanied with the donor's address and the donor's agreement to participate in the fund. This can be provided using a Contribution Card, or, for online donations, this information can be provided through a form generated upon payment with a credit card.​

  • How is the amount of the CEF match determined?

    • For County Council candidates who qualify, the matching ratio for the first $50 of the donation is 5:1; for the next $51-$100 at 3:1, for the next $101-$150 at 1:1. The amount of a donation over $151 is not matched. In-kind contributions are not matched.

    • The chart below shows how your donation grows with CEF matching funds!​​​​

CEF_table.png

  • Can a person who does not live in Howard County still contribute to Joan’s Election campaign?

    • Yes, individuals from outside Howard County can still donate, but the donation will not be matched.

  • What are the applicable campaign finance limits?

    • An individual cannot contribute more the $250 to Joan during the election cycle beginning January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2022.

    • The total CEF contribution to a county council candidate is topped at $85,000, and for county executive this is $800,000 per election cycle.

  • Which county council candidates are using the CEF?

    • This is the first election in Howard County that candidates are using the fund. Three of the incumbent county councilmembers are participating in the CEF: Liz Walsh, Christiana Rigby, and Deb Jung. However, Joan Pontius is the only non-incumbent council candidate to qualify for the program.

  • How does Joan’s people-powered campaign compare to David Yungmann’s insider campaign?

    • Since beginning her campaign fundraising on April 6, 2022, through donations from over 190 county residents and their matching funds, Joan has raised almost $50,000. In addition to the CEF, Joan also took the HoCo No Developer Money, No Dark Money Pledge. Therefore, Joan has taken $0 in donations from PACs, $0 from LLCs, $0 from developers, and $0 in transfers from other campaigns.

    • Conversely, in nearly four years, her opponent, Councilmember Yungmann has raised about $48,700 from a smaller number of only 136 donors—including donations from PACs, LLCs, Republican party members, candidates, elected officials, and other county insiders and power-brokers; David Yungmann’s donations include $2,500 from PACs, $5,000 from businesses, $2,836 from candidate transfers, and $1,500 from one of Howard County’s preeminent land-use attorneys who appeared before Councilmember Yungmann while sitting as a member of the Zoning Board regarding a proposed Erickson development in Clarksville.

    • While one-third of Yungmann’s donations came from other candidate committees, PACs, LLCs, and developer attorneys, Joan has taken $0 from any of these entities. Her campaign is powered by people like you!

  • How can I donate to Joan's election campaign Friends of Joan Pontius ?

    • Contributions can be made by credit card, check, or cash.

    • Credit card payments can be made securely online using Joan's DonorBox.

    • For cash or check donations, the campaign will receive matching funds only if the donor has completed the CEF Contribution Card.  A donation from a joint checking account will be assigned to the donor who signed the check.

    • You can donate more than once but total contributions cannot exceed $250.

  • Where can I get more information on the CEF?

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