Unrigging democracy: campaign finance vouchers help level the playing field for candidates, voters
January 10, 2022 9:08 am
Democracy vouchers are leveling the political playing field in Seattle, Wash. Photo courtesy of Seattle Ethics & Elections Commission.
Running for political office is daunting if you don’t have much money. It’s also tough for regular voters to compete against political donors with deep pockets.
But Seattle has devised a novel way to level the playing field for both candidates and voters that could potentially work in cities like Atlanta: democracy vouchers.
Here’s how it works: Every Seattle resident who’s 18 or over is automatically mailed four $25 vouchers that they can distribute to the candidate(s) of their choice. They must be U.S. citizens or green-card holders–but they don’t need to be registered voters.
