North Carolina added the town of Chapel Hill to its Voter-Owned Elections roster this week (we call them Clean Elections here is South Carolina) when the town council approved a measure to offer a full public financing option for town council races.

Following the national trend, the cost of running for office has risen in Chapel Hill in recent years, putting the cost of running for office out of reach of many town residents. Public financing will help remove that barrier to entry, and encourage people from all backgrounds to seek office.

North Carolina has made steady progress in advancing Voter-Owned Elections policy thanks to the efforts of Democracy North Carolina and their allies. Candidates for the state’s Supreme and Appellate courts as well as three of the nine Council of State positions all have the option to run with public financing.