Venue

: The Wyncote NW Forum
: 1119 8th Ave (Entrance off Seneca St.)
Seattle, 98101 United States + Google Map

Note: Town Hall events are approximately 75 minutes long.

Headshots of Dr. Jennifer Heerwig (with fair skin and medium length brown hair) and Alan Durning (with fair skin and buzzed grey hair/facial hair)

Community Events

In 2015, Seattleites overwhelmingly approved a new way for their city to reduce the influence of big money interests in elections— Democracy Vouchers, publicly financed vouchers for voters to donate to local candidates. The reform drew national attention, and the city’s elections now attract a broader and more diverse pool of both donors and candidates, even as the Emerald City continues to grapple with inequality.

As Seattle soon decides whether to reauthorize the program’s funding, Democracy Vouchers are at a crossroads. Have they improved racial and socioeconomic inclusion in elections? And will Seattle’s momentum spark a broader movement for campaign finance reform?

Join Dr. Jen Heerwig, author of the newly released Democracy Vouchers and the Promise of Fairer Elections in Seattle, in conversation with Sightline Institute’s Alan Durning, about the impact of this innovative program.

Dr. Jennifer Heerwig is an associate professor of sociology at SUNY-Stony Brook. She’s a political sociologist who studies American politics and campaign finance using quantitative methods. Her current research projects examine the political contributions of American corporate elites and the effects of new public financing initiatives on representation in local elections.

Alan Durning is the founder and executive director of Sightline Institute, Cascadia’s premier non-partisan, nonprofit think tank. He has researched and written extensively on topics concerning the region’s climate, housing, and democracy. Durning was the principal architect of Seattle’s democracy voucher program, advised the city on its implementation, and has followed research on its impacts.

Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Sightline Institute.