CFB's Amanda Melillo describes agency mission and NYC Votes influencer program

Great.

Good afternoon, I believe.

Good afternoon, Chair Brewer and members of the Committee on Governmental Operations, State and Federal Legislation.

I am Amanda Molillo, First Deputy Executive Director of the New York City Campaign Finance Board.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

The CFB is a nonpartisan, independent city agency committed to strengthening our local democracy.

We combat the influence of big money in politics by amplifying the power of small dollar contributions from everyday New Yorkers through our matching funds program, which serves as a model nationwide.

Through our NYC Votes initiative, we engage directly with voters and provide access to the information and resources they need to vote.

One way we do this is by partnering with social media influencers to share public service announcements about voting.

This approach is especially effective at reaching people who aren't normally tuned into government and politics.

In 2021, the CFB began working with influencers through our advertising vendor at the time.

And in 2023, we brought the work of identifying, researching, and selecting influencers in-house to our social media team.

Over this time, we have built a trusted messenger program that partners with voices who can reach younger voters in ways traditional government outreach often does not.