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Constitutional Law Keyed to Choper
Randall v. Sorrell
Citation:
548 U.S. 230 (2006)Facts
In 1997, Vermont enacted Act 64, a campaign finance law that imposed mandatory expenditure limits on the total amount candidates for state office could spend during an election cycle (e.g., $300,000 for governor, $100,000 for lieutenant governor). Act 64 also imposed strict contribution limits, restricting individuals and organizations to contributions of $400 for statewide offices, $300 for state senate, and $200 for state representative per election cycle. These limits applied to political parties as well, treating all party affiliates as a single entity. The law also counted volunteer expenses toward contribution limits and was not indexed for inflation. The petitioners, including candidates, voters, and political parties, challenged these provisions as unconstitutional violations of their First Amendment rights to political expression and association.
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