When filing taxes this year, taxpayers may notice a line asking if they want $3 of their taxes to go to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund.
The fund has been around since 1976. It was designed to give presidential candidates, no matter the party, a financial boost from public funding. However, most major candidates use private funding rather than public funding.
WATCH: Taxpayers can donate $3 to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund, but few actually choose to do it
According to the Federal Election Commission, or FEC, 28% of taxpayers chipped in when the fund was first created. In 2024, only 3% contributed.
"I probably didn’t donate to any presidential campaign," Howard Brown said.
"No I just heard about it just now," Javon Laporta said.
"I’ve seen it. I know it’s there. I don’t know much about it," Maeve Murphy said.
In January 2024, the FEC said the fund had more than $400 million in it. Laws let that money move. Some of it went to the Department of Justice, the Election Assistance Commission, and even toward lowering the national deficit.
"So it’s just sitting money?" Elise Akins said.
In August 2024, $320 million went to the Secret Service to protect candidates on the campaign trail. Now, the fund sits at $23 million.
"Would you consider donating? Probably not," Murphy said.
"I consider myself more of an independent," Brown said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
