Edwards may urge cut in donations

Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards was expected to propose today a democracy initiative that calls for creating a citizen congress to advise him as president, allowing Election Day voter registration to boost turnout, and cutting the maximum campaign contribution from $2,300 to $1,000 to increase the influence of small donors.

"The government belongs to the American people," Edwards says in remarks obtained by the Globe, prepared for delivery at a town hall forum in Keene, N.H. "It's time we put the power back in their hands."

The former North Carolina senator has been inveighing against the influence of big money and special interests in Washington; the initiative represents his most extensive prescription so far to give "regular people" more power in the nation's capital.

For the funding of presidential candidates, Edwards proposes that donations $100 and under be matched by a ratio of 8 to 1, making each $100 donation worth $900. Edwards, the only candidate to accept public financing, says this would empower regular Americans and attract more candidates into the system. The plan also calls for reducing the maximum contribution from $2,300 for the primary or general election to $1,000 per person to better reflect incomes of most Americans.

Edwards has relied less on donors who have given the maximum than rivals Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama, but those contributions still made up 42 percent of his total take during the first six months of the campaign, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks money in politics and its effect on elections and public policy.

"It's a bold proposal that would result in either far less money for Edwards and other candidates in his tier, or it would mean candidates would have to spend even more time fund-raising to try to raise the money they think they need to raise to run for president," said Massie Ritsch, a spokesman for the center.

Edwards also is proposing to allow people to register to vote on the day of presidential and congressional elections as a way to raise voter turnout. In the six states that had same-day registration in 2004, eligible voter turnout was nearly 14 percent higher than in those states that did not, according to a joint report by the Brennan Center for Justice and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law. The initiative also would encourage states to offer no-excuse absentee voting.

"Voting should be easier," said Mary Boyle, a spokeswoman for Common Cause, a nonprofit advocacy group. "Hurdles shouldn't be put up for people to vote. It's unrealistic in some cases for people to make it to the polls on a certain day within a certain number of hours."

Edwards also is proposing to create a "Citizen Congress" by asking 1 million Americans every two years to discuss challenges facing the country and offer advice. The congress would use technology such as wireless groupware computers to submit ideas and polling keypads to vote on proposals.

"I believe in the wisdom of the American people, and I think the more power they have in our democracy, the better our country will be," Edwards said.

Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com.