CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS TRY TO VASTLY TOUGHEN RULES FOR PRIMARY SEASON MATCHING FUNDS Starting in 1984, minor party presidential candidates have used primary season matching funds to help pay for petitioners to get on the ballot. Now, Democrats in Congress propose to make eligibility for primary season matching funds five times more difficult. H.R. 1 and S.1 make many election law changes. Among the changes are increasing the difficulty of receiving primary season matching funds. Current law requires small donations totalling at least $5,000 from each of twenty states. The bills raise that to $25,000 from each of twenty states. Minor party presidential candidates who have received primary season matching funds, and the amounts, are as follows: