The 2024 election cycle is projected to be staggeringly expensive, with billions of dollars expected to pour into federal, state and local campaigns. If recent elections are any guide, most of that money will come from a small group of wealthy donors. Their disproportionate influence sidelines the voices and interests of everyday constituents who don’t have access to private wealth.

But New York state now stands to interrupt that trend and give more voters a bigger say in the political process. The state’s Public Campaign Finance Program, which boosts the value of constituents’ small campaign donations with government funding, is in effect for the first time for the 2024 state legislative elections. This is an investment in civic participation at a time when American democracy really needs it.