All registered voters in Seattle receive four $25 Democracy Vouchers to give to the city candidates of their choice. This year, Seattleites donated 95,000 vouchers, raising almost $2.4 million for the 30 candidates who qualified for the vouchers.
Generally, the contribution limit for Seattle campaigns is $300. However, if independent expenditures are spent in a race, the contribution limit for all candidates running in that race rises to $600. In 2023, independent expenditure committees spent almost $1.1 million in city council elections. Business interests spent close to $883,000 of that total.
Councilmember-elect Joy Hollingsworth, who raised over $150,000 in Democracy Vouchers, noted that the value of the vouchers went well beyond the money raised. “I think the Democracy Voucher program is extremely valuable for people who don’t have a wealthy network,” explained Hollingsworth. She lauded the direct voter contact generated by the voucher program by adding, “It’s also like asking people for their vote.”
