2021 Democracy Vouchers are here!
The following blog post is adapted directly from City of Seattle resources, including the ‘About the Program’ and ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ guides to the Democracy Voucher program.
What are Democracy vouchers?
Democracy vouchers are certificates that Seattle residents — not just registered voters! — can use to help fund the campaigns of candidates they support. They apply to all City elections. This year, that means candidates for Mayor, City Council, and City Attorney who agree to stay under spending limits (between $150 and $800k, depending on the race).
How do they work?
By February 9th, 2021 every registered voter will be mailed four vouchers, each worth $25. If you’re registered to vote, this will happen automatically.
Once you get your vouchers, you can decide to do nothing with your vouchers (allowable but not recommended, in the opinion of this party organization), give all of your vouchers to one City candidate, or give them to up to four different City candidates of your choice. Any combination is allowable, but you can’t split vouchers into increments smaller than $25.
If you’re not a registered voter, but are (a) 18 years old, (b) a Seattle resident, and (c) a lawful resident of the United States, you can still receive vouchers by filling out this form.
How can I help my candidate qualify to receive vouchers?
In order to qualify to receive Democracy vouchers, candidates for office must collect a certain number of donations of $10 or more, and a certain number of signatures. For the Mayor, it’s 600 donations and 600 signatures. For City Attorney and at-large Council seats, it’s 400 and 400. And for district Council seats, it’s 150 and 150 (75 of which have to come from in-district). You can find a list of qualified candidates here (it will be continuously updated).
If you want to help your preferred candidate qualify for vouchers, check their website or social media to see if they’re still looking for signatures and qualifying donations. Again, not all candidates participate in the program, but most do. Even if your candidate isn’t trying to qualify to receive vouchers, they’ll no doubt still appreciate your donation.
Yeah, but how do I actually give a voucher to a candidate?
You have options. One way is to use the online portal — which will be available once vouchers are mailed. Another is to sign the voucher and hand it to the candidate or someone from their campaign. They’ll take care of the rest. You can also use the prepaid envelope that will be included with your vouchers to return them directly to the City of Seattle Ethics & Elections Commission (P.O. Box 35196, Seattle, WA 98124-5196).
Can I give my voucher to someone else? Can I sell my voucher?
To the first question, no. To the second question, really no. It’s illegal.
What can candidates use the vouchers for?
Vouchers can be used for anything candidates can use regular campaign contributions for, like hiring staff, printing campaign literature, and advertising. They can’t be used to make cash payments, reimburse contributors for contributions, pay the candidate a salary, cover personal expenses, support a campaign for a different office, make contributions to other candidates or political committees; or make payments to family members.
Will the candidate I give my voucher to be public record?
Yep. Like all campaign contributions to candidate campaigns, voucher assignments are public information. Your name and the candidate you give your vouchers to will be published on this page. The upside? This is a good way to screen potential first dates.
I’m incredibly interested in very specific details about this program not covered in this guide and want more information. Where can I find it?
Try various City of Seattle resources, including the ‘About the Program’ and ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ guides. That’s where all the info in this guide comes from. Email us at elections@43rddemocrats.org if you have any other questions and we’ll point you in the right direction!