The Independent View: Democracy Vouchers

Seattle is about to embark on a brand new experiment to help regular people participate in their Government.

A new program, known as "Democracy Vouchers," will roll out starting in January 2017.

The program lets citizens give money to political candidates without actually spending any of their own money.

"We know the perception is out there that money decides who makes it to the general election," said Wayne Barnett, Head of the City's Ethics and Elections Commission. "This will give people with moderate means the opportunity to say, hey, I want to support this candidate."

The program, known as Initiative 122, gives people four vouchers worth $25 each.

Voters can distribute those vouchers to the candidates of their choice. They can give to vouchers to 4 different candidates, all vouchers to one candidate, are any other combination.

It was approved by voters in November 2015.

The City will fund the vouchers through a property tax that will cost a median homeowner about $12.50 per year.

You will not be able to give vouchers away anonymously.

"I-122 will transform campaign financing rules for candidates running for City Council and City Attorney positions in the 2017 Seattle elections," according to a post on the City's website.

Beginning in 2021, voters can use the vouchers for the Mayor's race.

The City of Seattle created a webpage that addresses many frequently asked questions about the program.

In order to receive Democracy Vouchers, you must be:

- A Seattle resident
- At least 18 years of age
- A U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, or lawful permanent resident

You do not have to be a registered voter to receive Democracy Vouchers. If you meet all three criteria, you may apply to receive Democracy Vouchers.

CLICK HERE for more detail information about the new program.

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Proponents of Seattle Initiative 122 (I-122) say large companies and wealthy individuals are increasingly using their money to push regular people out of the political process.

I-122 would give every registered voter in the city “Democracy Vouchers” to spend on candidate campaigns.

The Nov. 3 ballot measure would:

1. Authorize a 10-year, $30 million property-tax levy and/or City Council appropriation from city's general fund, to pay for the vouchers while tightening rules for campaign contributions and lobbying. Those rules would include taking part in at least three public debates and accepting lower campaign-contribution limits and spending limits. I-122 would lower the cap on contributions to all candidates, including those not using vouchers, from $700 to $500. It would prohibit all candidates from soliciting contributions from any person or company with at least $250,000 in city contracts or $5,000 in city lobbying expenses. I-122 would bar elected officials and their top aides from lobbying the city for three years after leaving their positions, require paid petition-signature gatherers to identify themselves as such, and make candidates report more about their own finances. It would also increase penalties for election-law violations, create new crimes for violating its provisions and authorize the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission (SEEC) to administer the voucher program.

2. SEEC mails four $25 vouchers to every voter in the city on the first business day of each election year, every two years. They would be used in Seattle campaigns only, for Mayor, Council and City Attorney.

3. Voters assign the vouchers to candidate campaigns by signing and mailing them to the candidates or to the SEEC or by submitting them online.

4. SEEC releases the money to the candidates campaigns.

5. Candidates campaigns spend the money from the vouchers up to limits set by SEEC.

Seattle would be the first jurisdiction in the country to have such a voucher system.

“We have so many problems where solutions are blocked by the influence of money in politics,” said Alan Durning, Executive Director of the Sightline Institute, a progressive nonprofit think tank, and an author of I-122. “We have an enormous opportunity to demonstrate that progress is possible.”

I-122 is endorsed by many other progressive nonprofits, U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, the League of Women Voters and the Municipal League of King County. Its campaign has raised about $1.3 million.

The opposition campaign, “No Election Vouchers,” has raised about $44,000. Its spokespeople are political consultant Sandeep Kaushik and two former Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission chairs, tax attorneys Michele Radosevich and Robert Mahon.

They argue Seattle campaigns already are well-policed, call the voucher system untested and contend I-122 would create problems, not solve them. “I think we have strong election laws, we have clean government and we have a great deal of transparency,” Mahon said. “Do I think there could be some improvements? Probably. But I think this is clearly going to make things worse rather than better.”

I-122 would create partial public financing for campaigns and would be funded by additional property taxes amounting to about $9 annually for a $450,000 property. It would allow the City Council to instead fund the vouchers with the city’s general fund.

I-122 proponents say democracy vouchers would give every voter some influence. They say Seattle’s rate of giving would increase from 1.5 percent to between 4 and 14 percent. The highest rate in the nation is 5 percent Minnesota, which has a tax-rebate program for small donations.

Seattle previously had partial public financing of campaigns, but in 1992 a State Initiative prohibited such programs. In 2008, the Legislature passed a law allowing cities to establish programs if approved by public vote and funded locally.

The 2013 campaign for a ballot measure that would match small donations to council candidates with taxpayer funds raised just more than $100,000. Seattle voters narrowly rejected that “Fair Elections” measure. The council considered a similar program for the 2014 ballot but decided against it.

With six primary candidates in each race and each candidate raising as much money as possible in vouchers, up to the program’s spending limit, the annual cost of the program would be about $2.5 million, they say. I-122 would raise $3 million annually.