The future of Seattle's Democracy Voucher Program is on today's ballot, as voters decide whether to renew the public campaign financing system for 10 more years.

The big picture: Supporters of Seattle's first-in-the-nation voucher program say it allows more people to participate in politics, while opponents argue that too few people use the system to justify its cost.

How it works: Seattle residents get four $25 vouchers each election cycle, which they can donate to candidates who opt to participate in the program.

• Most Seattle candidates this year are accepting the vouchers, which come with fundraising and spending limits.
• A citywide property tax has raised $3 million annually to pay for the program over the past decade, costing the average Seattle property owner about $8 per year, per city estimates.

The latest: If approved, Proposition 1 will increase the tax slightly, generating $4.5 million yearly, or $45 million over 10 years.

• The owner of an $864,000 home — the median assessed value in Seattle this year — would pay $13 a year, about $5 more than under the existing levy.

What they're saying: Program supporters say it has broadened the city's pool of political donors and encouraged more people to run for office by reducing financial barriers.

• "Today, campaign donors better reflect the diversity of our city, by income, race, age, and neighborhood," King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda said in a video voter guide statement supporting Prop. 1.

The other side: Less than 5% of Seattleites used their vouchers in 2023, which opponent Ari Hoffman, a local talk radio host, says reflects a lack of interest in the program.

• "Seattle is one of the most expensive cities in America, and yet our city government is forcing you to pay a special tax just to fund political campaigns," Hoffman said in the video voter guide.

Yes, but: Donor participation was even lower before Seattle voters approved the vouchers a decade ago, sociologists Jennifer Heerwig and Brian McCabe wrote in a recent column.

• Only about 1.5% of Seattle residents donated to political campaigns in 2013, they wrote, with those donors concentrated in wealthier neighborhoods.

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Seattle's parched summer may get a rare splash of relief with rain forecast across the region this week.

Why it matters: After months of dry weather, a nearly statewide drought and active wildfires, even a modest spritz helps.

By the numbers: A cool front is moving into Western Washington tomorrow, per the National Weather Service Seattle.

• It could deliver as much as 0.75 inches of rain to the Olympic Mountains, where the Bear Gulch fire has burned nearly 5,000 acres, NWS meteorologist Dana Felton tells Axios.
• Coastal areas could get up to 0.75 inches as well, while Seattle can expect 0.33–0.5 inches.
• The temperature is expected to reach 70°, nearly 10° below the normal high, Felton says.

What's next: The rain should be gone by Thursday night, per Felton, replaced by sunny skies and 80° highs through the weekend.

Tell a pluviophile

📖 People are flocking to Lovestruck in Seattle, a new Lake City book shop that focuses on romance novels. (Seattle Refined)

🗳️ A plan that would lower taxes for most Seattle businesses while raising taxes on high-grossing companies is headed to voters in November, after the Seattle City Council approved it yesterday. (FOX 13)

🍽️ Stateside, the much-praised Vietnamese-French restaurant in Capitol Hill, has permanently closed, its owners announced yesterday. (Eater Seattle)

🦠 Scientists say they've discovered the cause of the wasting disease that has goo-ified billions of sea stars: a bacterial strain called Vibrio pectenicida. (KUOW)

🍻 Ballard-based Urban Family Brewing plans to open a new waterfront taproom ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Mushrooms are sprouting up all over the place: in coffee, soda, chocolate and meat blends.

Why it matters: Centuries after they were considered medicinal, mushrooms are today's go-to "functional" food — with a brain-boosting, sustainable aura.

State of play: "Mushrooms have such a health halo," says Chicago-based registered dietitian Janet Helm. Plus, they're versatile.

• "Particularly with Gen Z, if you put it in a beverage, they love it." That's largely because of sustainability and brain-boosting reasons.
• And mushrooms are a key ingredient for the emerging category of part-veggie, part-meat foods.

Between the lines: We're not talking about "magic" mushrooms.

• "Functional" mushrooms include lion's mane, chaga, reishi and cordyceps (something "The Last of Us" fans might be familiar with).

By the numbers: Sales of food and beverages with functional mushrooms are up over 450% in the U.S. since 2021, according to NielsenIQ.

• In Seattle, sales have more than tripled, rising from $1.6 million in the first half of 2021 to $6.1 million in the first half of this year, the market research company says.

The big picture: Mushroom coffee is one driver of that growth, after mushroom coffee company Four Sigmatic kicked off the trend about a decade ago.

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