Pinpointing Small Donors

How much do out-of-state donors account for a recent surge in contributions of $100 or less to Virginia Democrats? Some clues are provided by ActBlue, a PAC that discloses the address of anyone who uses its online platform. So far this year, 37 cents of every $1 in small donations through ActBlue has come from outside Virginia.

Select a state for small ActBlue donation totals in 2019 to Virginia.
Drill down to maps showing cities and ZIP Codes.

Source: ActBlue Virginia PAC campaign finance reports covering January 1, 2019 through June 30, 2019 on file with Virginia Department of Elections. Donations of $100 or less from outside Virginia added up to nearly $785,000.

Notes: Under Virginia law, candidates are required to disclose the names, addresses and occupations of only those who directly contribute more than $100 during an election cycle. This makes it impossible to know the source of small donors. However, any PAC (such as ActBlue Virginia) that accepts money earmarked for a specific candidate is required to identify every donor, even those who give as little as $1. While the ActBlue reports make it possible to identify some small donors, there is no way to know which Virginia candidate or committee was the recipient.

Aug. 23, 2019