Seattle sends out campaign finance vouchers, one of two connections between the city’s 2019 elections and ballot measures


Seattle, Washington, is holding elections for seven of the nine seats on its city council on November 5, 2019. Two previously-approved ballot measures will play out with this November’s elections. Let’s explore how they played out.

The two ballot measures: the City of Seattle Restrictions on Campaign Finance and Elections Initiative (2015) and the Seattle City Council Districts Proposition (2013).

On Tuesday, Seattle planned to send all eligible voters four $25 vouchers that they may give to a candidate or candidates of their choosing, provided the candidate adheres to certain campaign contribution limits. Creation of the voucher program was part of Measure No. 122, the City of Seattle Restrictions on Campaign Finance and Elections Initiative, which voters approved in 2015 by a vote of 63 percent to 37 percent.

This year is the second time that the city has sent the vouchers. The program debuted in 2017.

The seven seats up for election this November are the city’s seven geographically-drawn districts; the other two are at-large seats. This year marks only the second time that voters will elect city council members by district, rather than at-large, seats.

Charter Amendment 19, the Seattle City Council Districts Proposition, was approved by voters 66 percent to 34 percent in 2013. The amendment changed the form of the city council from nine at-large positions to seven positions elected according to geographic districts and two at-large positions.

Municipal elections of some kind will be on the ballot in 66 of America’s 100 largest cities in 2019.

Read about both Seattle measures below.

https://ballotpedia.org/Seattle_City_Council_Districts_Proposition,_Charter_Amendment_No._19_(November_2013)
 
https://ballotpedia.org/City_of_Seattle_Restrictions_on_Campaign_Finance_and_Elections,_Initiative_Measure_No._122_(November_2015)