US election update: How much dey cost and who dey pay for am?
Due to coronavirus, dis year US election circle look different one kain, but dem still dey spend plenty moni as di election dey come on November 3.
For 2016, di US election cost about $6.5bn. BBC Reality Check break down who dey pay for am and e also look at how much di one for 2020 fit cost. On di average, for di five elections - 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, presidential aspirants don spend pass $2bn. More dan half of am dey usually go to media advert. TV advert na big ticket - tori be say di Trump campaign bin spend millions to run one advert during di Super Bowl for February. Digital advertising na anoda priority wey dey grow too as candidates dey invest tens of millions to target voters wey dey for social media. Den dia staff salary. Hilary Clinton pay almost $85m to thousands of workers for 2016. Tori be say Trump spend past 3 million dollars for im MAGA hat Campaigning too dey cost - Trump and Clinton spend about $43m each to tour di kontri for 2016 - though travel expenses fit dey less dis year due to di pandemic. And no forget election merchandise - dat Trump caps? According to 2016 report, im spend more dan $3m on dem. No be only di election of president, America voters go also choose members of di US Congress. Hundreds of candidates from different parts of di kontri wey go compete for positions for congress go compete wit each oda for campaigns wey reach $4bn on average for recent election circles. So, wia all dis moni dey come from? Most of dem dey come from campaign donations. Around one third of donation wey individuals contribute for 2016, come from everyday American pipo - pipo dey give $200 or less. But most of di moni dey come from wealthy donors. Dis na group of less dan 200 pipo wey dey spend almost $1bn for all di different positions for di 2016 election alone. On top of dat, presidential candidates and dia parties dey usually form fundraising committees wey dey generate plenty donations. Tori be say dis committees dey host lavish dinners for wealthy pipo to come donate. Dem fit raise reach $10 million for one single night. E get some rules on moni wey dem donate for campaign. For example, only Americans fit donate. Individuals no fit donate pass $2,800 give directly to di candidates - but instead, dem fit donate moni to di party fundraising pot, wia di limit no dey too strict. Since 2010, e also dey possible for independent groups to raise unlimited amount of moni from companies and individuals to finance political activities. Although dem sabi dis group as Super PACS, dem no dey allowed to coordinate directly wit di candidates. Unlike for many oda kontris, e no get overall limit on how much dem fit to spend for campaigns. And US elections dey get even more expensive. Di 2016 election price tag na double di amount wey dem spend for 2000. So di world most powerful job no come cheap. And dis year no dey different, wit di two presidential candidates spending big as dem dey try to win di White House.