Interested in joining ACRE Co-op Owners for Political Action®? Call Consolidated at 800-421-5863 or fill out the form at the bottom of the page.
What is ACRE Co-op Owners for Political Action?
ACRE Co-op Owners for Political Action gives you, the member-owner, the opportunity to use your voice on behalf of your cooperative. State and federal officials make policy decisions that affect your Consolidated Cooperative and your way of life. This program is an easy way for you to help determine who gets elected to make those decisions.
Co-op Owners is the consumer arm of the Action Committee for Rural Electrification, or ACRE®, is the nonpartisan political action committee of the nation’s electric cooperatives. Founded in 1966 by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, it supports candidates for state and federal who will speak for and protect the interests of cooperatives and their member-owners.
Why should I participate?
Because you receive electric service from Consolidated Cooperative, you’re not a customer – you’re a member and an owner. The bills you pay directly fund the operation of your cooperative, and because Consolidated is not-for-profit, regulatory and legislative policy decisions directly affect you, your community, and your wallet.
Your participation in the nationwide ACRE-Co-op Owners for Political Action program ensures that the voice of cooperatives remains strong in our nation’s capital and in your state legislature. Maintaining a strong grassroots presence in the political process is instrumental to the long-term success of electric cooperatives and the communities they serve in these unpredictable times.
What is a political action committee?
The law allows individuals with common interests to pool their resources using political action committees, or PACs, to make political contributions to candidates for state and federal office. About 33,000 like-minded supporters of the cooperative program combine their contributions through ACRE and ACRE-Co op Owners.
Candidates who receive a substantial contribution from ACRE get an important message about your interests in Consolidated Cooperative and our communities. The candidate knows that the cooperative member-owners and employees who supported them want to elect individuals to office who will make good policy decisions on their behalf.
Are contributions tax-deductible?
No. The Internal Revenue Service has ruled that all political contributions, such as those to ACRE Co-op Owners for Political Action, are not tax deductible.
What do I receive for my contribution?
The most important benefit that you receive as an ACRE-Co-op Owners member is a voice in helping elect state and federal officials that will support your cooperative and your community. In addition, you will receive quarterly issues of the ACRE Action newsletter, which includes legislative alerts, profiles of cooperative leaders, and other timely features.
Where does my contribution go?
With the exception of a small federal tax payment of less than 1 percent, all contributions to ACRE Co-op Owners go directly to the campaigns of candidates for political office. A portion of your contribution (about half) may be refunded to Ohio’s statewide electric cooperative PAC to support candidates for state office.
Who determines how these contributions are made?
The candidate’s political affiliation is never taken into account. ACRE-Co-op Owners follows established procedures for making contributions to candidates running for political office. Factors that determine financial support include the candidate’s position on issues critical to cooperatives, as well as their votes and public statements on these issues; the candidate’s committee assignments and leadership positions and his or her relative importance to cooperatives; and a candidate’s financial need and the strength of his or her opponent.
Individual states have their own guidelines for making contributions to candidates for statewide offices. While these rules are set by the individual states, they often mirror those guidelines used by the national ACRE-Co-op Owners program.
Do I really make a difference?
Our ability to serve you and your community is heavily dependent on members like you who use ACRE-Co-op Owners for Political Action to get the right people into political office. The personal dedication of member-owners to stand together forms the backbone of a powerful grassroots network that promotes policies to secure the future of your cooperative and the families they serve. This is an opportunity to make a huge difference.
Make a Difference – Be a Co-op Voter!
For more information or to join ACRE Co-op Owners for Political Action, call Consolidated at 800-421-5863 or fill out the form below.
How Can YOU Make a Difference?
Talk to family, friends and neighbors about voting
Visit the Co-ops Vote Facebook and Twitter pages and share the message
