Join us for a town hall discussion with Seattle Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda on the Democracy Voucher program.
The Democracy Voucher program was designed to encourage a more diverse pool of candidates for elected office and ensure everyone has the opportunity to have his or her voice heard, not just the wealthy and political elite.
Adopted by Seattle in 2015 and put into practice in 2017, the voucher program has resulted in a marked change in the composition of who is contributing to city campaigns in Seattle. The voucher program has made the universe of donors to political campaigns more diverse and more balanced with regard to geography, gender and economic status.
In addition, the program has served to empower candidates who may have been superbly qualified in every way except having easy access to wealthy donors – like Councilwoman Mosqueda.
The City of Austin is currently reviewing a Democracy Voucher program proposal and it could be at item on the November ballot.