Big spenders fund US election

With just a few weeks until Americans cast their votes at the polls, it’s mind-blowing to hear that the total spending for the federal elections is projected to set a new record of almost $11 billion (about R182 billion).

President Donald Trump, having recovered from the coronavirus, has hit the campaign trail hard with daily rallies over the last few days. He is not expected to let up in the lead-up to the elections.

His opponent Joe Biden has taken a more measured route, opting to push home what polls show – that many do not approve of Trump’s handling of the pandemic.

According to a report published by The Conversation: “This year’s federal election spending – for the presidency, the Senate and the House of Representatives – is on track to be double what it was in 2008.

When adjusted for inflation, that’s over 50% higher than 2016 election spending.

So where does the money come from?

Political parties and outside groups must report the identity of donors who give at least $200, according to Federal Law.

According to The Conversation: “This year, as of August 31, 2020, all of the $531 million funding Joe Biden’s campaign so far came from private funds, according to Open Secrets, a publicly available database that tracks campaign finance data.

So did the $476 million funding President Donald Trump’s reelection bid so far.”Worldwide people may be struggling due to Covid, but there clearly is still plenty of money from a select few in the United States.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.