The 2023 election cycle has launched for Seattle’s Democracy Voucher program and it is time to start thinking about how you will put your $100 in vouchers to work.

“All of us have an interest in the direction of our City, and this program gives all of us a say in who runs it,” Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission executive director Wayne Barnett said in the announcement.

In 2023, Seattle’s seven city council district seats will be on the ballot. Candidates seeking office can choose to use the program to fund their campaigns after completing a qualifying process. Earlier this year, the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission amended the program to limit the ability of paid campaign staffers to collect vouchers.

You have two options to pledge your vouchers to a candidate’s campaign:

There are two ways you can conveniently and securely use your vouchers at home:

1. Return your vouchers by mail using the pre-paid envelope included with your vouchers (no stamp is required). 
2. Follow the instructions included with your paper vouchers to create an online account to submit your vouchers online for this and future elections.

Check out the participating candidates page to find out who is accepting the vouchers.

The program, first used in 2017, is funded by $3 million in annual property taxes raised by the city, which allow each voter to receive four $25 vouchers each election cycle that they can sign over to any qualifying candidate in Seattle to help fund their campaigns.

D3’s participants as of February 15th

CHS reported here on the important role the vouchers played in 2019’s hugely expensive run for the Kshama Sawant’s District 3 seat.

Registered voters in Seattle should automatically receive the $100 in vouchers in the mail.

Seattle residents who are at least 18 and are either a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or a lawful permanent resident can apply for vouchers here. You can request replacement vouchers here.

1. Don’t lose them: Registered Seattle voters can use the four $25 a piece vouchers through the end of November.
2. Make choices: Vouchers can be given to any participating candidate in the two citywide council races or the race for the mayor’s office. You can give all four of your vouchers to one candidate or you can engage in a little democratic roulette and spread the love around your favorite deserving candidates. The list of eligible recipients to-date is here.
3. Holding out for a hero: If you’re worried someone you really want to support might be a late entrant, hang onto a voucher for later in the race.
4. After the primary? You might also want to be super strategic and hang onto your voucher until after the primary to help back your preferred candidate out of the top two who go through. But keep in mind that candidates have spending limits that determine how many vouchers they can redeem and that the voucher might not be useful as support climbs behind the smaller set of candidates.
5. Please print clearly. You can cash in your Democracy Vouchers directly to a candidate’s campaign, to the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission, or by dropping them off at one of the designated locations. Vouchers must have your signature and the candidate’s name clearly written to be processed. Drop off locations and email addresses for the program can be found here.
6. No paper: You can access your vouchers online. English speakers can go to democracyvoucher.seattle.gov to move your voucher account online and participate without paper.

More information is available at seattle.gov/democracyvoucher.

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