On a warm spring morning in the city of Seattle, Washington, City Council candidate Pat Murakami walks from house to house. Murakami greets voters in an economically-mixed neighborhood. It is a tradition for political candidates in the United States to meet voters and ask for their votes. For Murakami, it is also a way for her to ask for money in a special campaign financing program in Seattle. Under the program, the city mails each voter four $25 “Democracy Vouchers” that they can give to City Council or city attorney candidates. Voters can give the vouchers to one candidate, split them among different candidates, or choose not to donate. The money from vouchers not used by voters remains with the city. “I would have been a complete non-contender without the program,” Murakami said of her first race in 2017. She beat six other primary candidates before losing in the general election.