Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Seattle Votes on Democracy Vouchers Designed To Counteract Wealthy Donors

Seattle Votes on Democracy Vouchers Designed To Counteract Wealthy Donors

If approved, the Democracy Voucher program would bring in $4.5 million each year through a property tax.

Road Red Runner/Adobe Stock

A public funding mechanism for Seattle elections is up for renewal in next week's election.

The Democracy Voucher program was passed 10 years ago. It offers voters four $25 vouchers to use each election cycle for candidates who accept certain fundraising and spending limits. Supporters said it is a model for more inclusive democracy, touting higher turnout, increased participation from more small donors and a more diverse candidate field.

Spencer Olson, spokesperson for the group People Powered Elections Seattle, which supports Proposition 1, said the program helps level the playing field.

"It's really important that people's voices are heard and that candidates can run being supported by their constituents," Olson contended. "Versus just listening to those wealthiest donors, those special interests that have historically been the loudest voices at the table and really dominated what priorities rise to the top."

The voucher is supported by a property tax. Olson and other supporters hope to bring the model statewide. Critics said the program is not big enough to make a difference in elections and has not curbed outside spending. Ballots are due by 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Olson pointed out the vouchers have succeeded in encouraging more diverse participation in local elections.

"The intention of the program was to bring a public financing program to Seattle elections to help empower more candidates -- more diverse candidates, women, renters, people of color -- to have equal access to be able to run, and run competitive elections without having to rely on wealthy donors, special interests," Olson emphasized.

Olson noted because the money comes from a dedicated tax levy, unused vouchers roll over to the next election.

"The goal isn't to create an unlimited pot of money but to be able to provide resources for candidates to run with the community's support," Olson stressed. "But it's not a blank check at the same time."

Eric Tegethoff is a journalist covering the Northwest for Public News Service.


Seattle Votes on Democracy Vouchers Designed To Counteract Wealthy Donors was originally published by the Public News Service and is republished with permission.

Read More

Dollar in Decline: Trump’s Economic Policies and a Falling Dollar
1 U.S.A dollar banknotes

Dollar in Decline: Trump’s Economic Policies and a Falling Dollar

“Tariffs are like throwing sand into the gears of the global economy.”
— David Kelly, JP Morgan Asset Management

The dollar has plunged 10.8% in 2025, marking its worst start since 1973—a year defined by oil shocks, soaring inflation, and Watergate-era political turmoil. Behind the headlines, one has to wonder: Could America be headed for a crisis reminiscent of that turbulent era? A volatile mix of President Trump’s trade wars, sweeping tax cuts, and assertive executive actions fuels uncertainty. The dollar’s slide isn’t merely a currency-market blip—it’s a warning that America’s economic stability and global standing are under threat.

Keep ReadingShow less
Why a College Degree No Longer Guarantees a Good Job
woman wearing academic cap and dress selective focus photography
Photo by MD Duran on Unsplash

Why a College Degree No Longer Guarantees a Good Job

A college education used to be considered, along with homeownership, one of the key pillars of the American Dream. Is that still the case? Recent experiences of college graduates seeking employment raise questions about whether a university diploma remains the best pathway to pursuing happiness, as it once was.

Consider the case of recent grad Lohanny Santo, whose TikTok video went viral with over 3.6 million “likes” as she broke down in tears and vented her frustration over her inability to find even a minimum wage job. That was despite her dual degrees from Pace University and her ability to speak three languages. John York, a 24-year-old with a master’s degree in math from New York University, writes that “it feels like I am screaming into the void with each application I am filling out.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Financial planning.  Budgeting. Expense tracking. Profit and loss analysis. Data analysis. Spreadsheet software. Productivity. Efficiency. Financial literacy. Personal finance. Business finance.

Congress and the President push forward the One Big Beautiful Bill – yet polling shows that nearly all of the major spending and tax reforms are not popular.

Getty Images, Natalia Gdovskaia

The Public Says, ‘This Is Not My Beautiful Bill’

Congress and the President continue to push forward their comprehensive spending and tax reform bill – the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) – yet polling shows that nearly all of the major spending and tax reforms are not popular, including: lowering taxes on high incomes, cutting Medicaid and SNAP, increasing spending on defense and immigration enforcement, and eliminating tax credits for clean energy.

When asked about the OBBB in general, with no or few details about its specific policies, the public has consistently been opposed. Polls by Fox News, Quinnipiac University, KFF, Pew Research Center, and the Washington Post/Ipsos have found net opposition in the double digits. Support did not surpass 38% in any of the polls. The poll that gave the most level of detail about the bill, by the Washington Post, found the lowest level of support at just 23%.

Keep ReadingShow less
Blank Checks and Empty Promises: The Collapse of Congressional Fiscal Power

A politician counting money in front of the US Capitol Building.

Getty Images, fStop Images - Antenna

Blank Checks and Empty Promises: The Collapse of Congressional Fiscal Power

From Governing to Grandstanding

There was a time—believe it or not—when Congress actually passed budgets the old-fashioned way: through debate, compromise, and the occasional all-night session, not theatrics designed to appeal to cable news and social media. The process, while messy, followed a structure: hearings, markups, votes, and compromises. That structure—known as regular order—wasn’t just congressional tradition. It was the scaffolding of democratic accountability. It has also been steadily torn down.

Deadlines and dysfunction better define today’s Congress. Instead of the back-and-forth of healthy deliberation, Congress relies on continuing resolutions and last-minute omnibus bills. Budget gimmicks that were once used only during fiscal emergencies—backloaded cuts, timing shifts, reconciliation sleight-of-hand—are now the rule, not the exception. Congress has shifted from prioritizing policy to prioritizing the message and crafting political narratives.

Keep ReadingShow less