Can San Jose have publicly-financed elections? A voter drops off ballots in a neighborhood ballot drop box. Photo by Lorraine Gabbert. The promise to get money out of politics has propelled several San Jose politicos to office. Actually implementing corporate-free elections is tougher. Councilmembers and local activists are pushing for a way to level the playing field for contributions through publicly-financed elections. In that system, the local government provides each registered voter with a voucher to spend on any candidate of their choice. The idea is it encourages participation from everyday residents and reduces reliance on corporate or wealthy donors.