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It’s rare for a sitting president and a Supreme Court justice to say publicly that a recent Supreme Court decision should be reversed, but this particular case has no shortage of critics — and with good reason. Over the past five years, campaign spending, especially from undisclosed sources known as “dark money,� has skyrocketed, with last year’s midterm election ranking as the most expensive on record.

And the 2016 race is already looking ugly and expensive. The Republican circular shooting squad has been underway for quite a while — remember New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie calling Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul “dangerous,� and Paul calling Christie the “king of bacon� way back in summer of 2013? And while Hillary Clinton is still in the decision-making process, her would-be rivals have pulled no stops in critiquing her. For example, Paul recently accused her of facilitating ISIL’s rise and increasing Middle East instability (as if the region were stable before 2009).

Jeb Bush is hoping to lock down donors in the New York City metropolitan area and to dissuade potential Republican rivals. He hosted a $100,000-a-ticket fundraiser, which will help contribute to an estimated final haul of $50 to $100 million for his Right to Rise super PAC.

It’s less than a year until voters will gather for caucuses or cast primary ballots, but instead of hearing about candidates’ issue platforms, all we’re getting is stories about their closed-door meetings with big donors.

Last month, the Koch brothers hosted an event for GOP presidential hopefuls to “try out� in front of a room full of billionaire donors. Shortly after this private “Koch primary,� the brothers announced their 2016 spending goal of nearly $900 million. With that kind of money up for grabs, it’s no wonder presidential hopeful Paul is considering changing some of his positions to appeal not to average voters, but to those signing the campaign checks.

And there’s no question that Democratic donors are also looking for ways to match the donations made by big GOP donors.

Unfortunately, the flood of money doesn’t just stop after elections are over. These powerful interests impact policy decisions once their handpicked politicians are in office.

Voters know this is not how democracy is meant to work. Political speech should not just be for those with the most money. We understand that when a few millionaires and billionaires are able to secretly influence elections and candidates, we all pay the price on the issues that matter most to us.

We need a system where everyone participates and everyone’s voice is heard. We need to ensure that everyone knows who is trying to buy influence in our elections and government. We need politicians to play by common-sense rules and be held accountable. Most of all, we need to expand the voices of those left out — in some cases intentionally kept out — of the process.

Last month, a group of Democrats and Republicans introduced a series of reform bills in Congress on the fifth anniversary of Citizens United. And nearly three in four Americans agree with President Obama in their support for a constitutional amendment to overturn the decision, with a petition in favor of that amendment garnering more than 5 million signatures.

The demand for change is only growing and getting louder. At the local level, 16 states and about 600 cities and towns have passed resolutions or taken other action. With this local momentum, and national leaders like Justice Ginsburg and President Obama calling for a reversal of Citizens United, a constitutional amendment and other solutions to reduce the influence of money in politics might be closer than you think. As we look to 2016, presidential hopefuls and members of Congress should recognize that reducing the role of money in politics can be a winning campaign issue.

And for voters, it’s time we ask candidates to disclose all their donors and ask third-party shadow groups to do the same. We deserve to know whether the policies our politicians pursue are more focused on good governance or are simply a quid pro quo arrangement to keep the campaign coffers filled.

Donna Brazile is a senior Democratic strategist, a political commentator and contributor to CNN and ABC ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ, and a contributing columnist to Ms. Magazine and O, the Oprah Magazine.