Q&A: How Seattle's Democracy Vouchers Reduced the Influence of Big Money in Elections

Next Tuesday, August 5th, Seattle residents will vote on whether to extend the program.

Here’s something like good news: In 2015, Seattle voters approved a first-of-its kind public campaign financing program, the Seattle Democracy Vouchers Program. For almost ten years, every election cycle, the city has mailed city residents four $25 Democracy Vouchers that they can donate to city candidates of their choice. The program has been paid for by a small increase in property taxes, and it’s been credited with measurably expanding small-donor and voter participation.

Next week, on Tuesday, August 5th, Seattle residents will vote on whether to extend the program, which is set to expire this year. I caught up with Spencer Olson, a leader of the Vote Yes on Prop 1 campaign, about how Democracy Vouchers have reduced the influence of big money in local elections and how Seattle’s program can be a model for campaign finance reform in cities and states nationwide.

Meaghan: How has the Democracy Dollars program changed voter participation in Seattle?

Spencer: It’s been a resounding success. It’s really transformed how our elections are run, and the role that residents play. The evidence shows it's getting more people involved and keeping them involved.

What’s so exciting here is that everyone has Democracy Vouchers. You don’t need to have any means at all to participate. And if you accidentally lose or recycle the vouchers, you can still redeem them on an online portal. Canvassers and candidates come to your door and help you fill out a replacement form. It's just cool to see how it really incentivizes candidates to get out in the community.

Since the program started, the small-dollar donor participation rate has increased fivefold in the city. We went from having literally a handful of donors giving the vast majority of all campaign money to seeing so many people from every neighborhood in the city participate in every election cycle.

Not only that, but the vast majority of voucher users have never given to a campaign before. And once a voter uses the Democracy Vouchers, they’re more likely to keep voting. A study done by UC Santa Barbara showed that Democracy Vouchers may have boosted voter participation by roughly five percentage points. That’s exciting for us because voucher users in the city more closely mirror the city’s income demographics and other demographics.

Another thing that’s really interesting is that it’s caused a dramatic decline — about an 80% decline — of contributions from outside Seattle for city council races. So it’s keeping the money local, keeping the elections local.

Meaghan: How has it changed who runs for office and how candidates run their campaigns?

Spencer: The Democracy Vouchers have empowered so many more people to run for office. Prior to the program, it was very common for us to have elections where the incumbent would run without a challenge. Or, there'd be two, maybe three, candidates running, and they were anointed by wealthy interests. Roughly two-thirds of the money [from residents] was coming from homeowners in the well-off neighborhoods like those with water views of the Puget Sound, and so their concerns and issues really dominated what was being discussed, and their ideas shaped what sort of the political realities were considered possible.

Since the program went into effect in 2017, we've seen a big shift. We're seeing more candidates running on platforms that align with the communities that they're running to represent. We’re also seeing first-time candidates, more women and people of color candidates, more young candidates.

The Democracy Vouchers have also shifted the issues being discussed. We're having a much more robust dialog in these elections. Solutions that actually benefit everyday people are rising to the top. Affordability and housing is definitely the top issue in the city. When candidates who have great solutions and will be champions of them can run without needing to have that Rolodex of wealthy donors.

Meaghan: Are there specific industries or special interests that influence Seattle elections and politics?

Spencer: Yeah, there’s definitely been some repeat players with big deep pockets that have both invested in candidates and also run independent expenditure campaigns. Historically, some of the biggest players have been realtors, real estate developers, big tech, big corporate interests in the city, the Chamber of Commerce.

A few years ago, Seattle passed a ban that restricted “foreign-influenced” corporations from being able to contribute and since the ban went into effect, it’s been a lot more challenging for those interests to be able to contribute. I think that’s an example of how we need both kinds of reforms: those that amplify the role of people and those that reduce the influence of big money in politics.

Meaghan: What can people do to support this program?

Spencer: For those who are in Seattle, what's most important is to talk to your friends, family, neighbors, let them know to vote “yes” on Prop 1 by August 5th. We have canvases, field events, house parties leading up to the election. We would love to get more people involved, make their voice heard, engage their friends and family.

We feel confident going into this election. In our latest poll of folks that have used Democracy Vouchers, there was an over 90% high satisfaction rate. We have a really strong list of endorsers, including community organizations, labor unions, housing advocates, local newspapers. Folks understand that the voucher program is now a critical part of our democratic infrastructure.

Right now, our coalition is focused on passing Prop 1. However, we also have been working on a statewide version, and that’ll be a big priority for us going into next year.

What starts in Seattle doesn't always stay here. We’re proud of our legacy of leading on raising the minimum wage, passing democracy vouchers, and we really see this as an innovative city that loves to experiment with new policies and we hope to see other places replicate what we've learned here. A number of cities in California are in the process of implementing similar programs. Especially when democracy is under attack everywhere, we hope our program provides a helpful case study for other places that are looking to strengthen the voice of everyday people and reduce the influence of big money in elections.

Meaghan: There are so many horrible things happening in the country. How are you coping?

Spencer It’s really helpful for me to remember our history. We have gone through rough, terrible times before and overcome them. It’s important for all of us to hold the line and protect what we have achieved but also to make sure that we're building community, building power, preparing for the bigger fights to come as well. I think our history really gives us a lot of examples to help break through the despair and cynicism, which is very, very real, and which I think we're all managing right now. I find a lot of inspiration looking back to other movements that have overcome great obstacles.

I also think it's just really critical to look at our local opportunities to strengthen democracy, enact innovative new reforms, and create the testing grounds for the innovations that often trickle up and can make an impact around the country. There's a lot of opportunity there for our movement. While Congress is unlikely to pass transformative, landmark democracy reforms that live up to our values, there are a lot of states and cities where that is a possibility. That’s something that brings me a lot of hope and motivation at this moment.