A prominent feature of campaign finance regulation is mandatory disclosure of contributions and the personal information of contributors. This regulation is in effect for both candidate elections and ballot issue elections. Although disclosure is heralded by its proponents as a necessary measure to prevent corruption, in actuality it generates privacy concerns for individuals wishing to express their First Amendment rights. By means of a six state public opinion survey, the authors highlight the widespread lack of public awareness regarding the real effects of disclosure and the resultant opinions of these citizens who realize what disclosure really means for their own privacy. To remedy this problem, the authors present a voluntary disclosure system.
