Those $100 Democracy Vouchers sent out to Seattle voters aren’t free. In fact, they cost taxpayers at least 50 percent of their face value.

Initiative 122, passed in the last election, is supposed to democratize the election process by providing four, $25 vouchers to voters to spend on whatever candidates they choose.

The money is paid for by an increase in property tax, though the vouchers are sent to all voters.

While we don’t yet know how Democracy Vouchers will impact future elections, we do know how much they will cost.

Based on budgets received from the Seattle Ethics and Election Commission, through 2020, the Commission projects to collect $12.6 million in revenue from property taxes to fund the program. Of that, just under $8.4 million is allocated for voucher disbursement and $4.3 million for implementation costs.

Ross: Democracy vouchers could rely on failure

To put it simply, it costs $50 in taxpayer money to send out $100 in vouchers. That’s if voters participate as robustly as projected. If more voters send in their vouchers, the cost could be lower. If fewer people send them in, it could be higher.

You didn’t accidentally recycle your Democracy Vouchers, did you?

Watchdog groups often rate the efficacy of a charitable organization based on the percentage of donations spent directly on the charity’s recipient(s).

A 50 percent administration cost would merit a failing grade for most charities.

Of course, a government commission operates much differently than a charity. But in this case, the mission is comparable: sending resources to a person or cause the donor wishes to support.

In this case, the donors are Seattle property owners.

To be fair, the SEEC is tasked with an enormous challenge in implementing I-122. There are marketing costs to inform voters about the program, IT and development considerations, translation expenses (voucher materials are available in 15 languages), and the mailing cost. Not to mention, staffing. Somebody has to physically open up all those envelopes.

The cost of the Democracy Voucher program is not the fault of the SEEC; it’s simply the price of enacting this voter-approved initiative. SEEC has rolled out the program without visible hiccups, to their credit. The vouchers were sent out on time, the website and information portal is in order, and translation services in place. Vouchers are coming in, though no tallies are yet available.

Critics could argue that Seattle property owners are taking on the burden of funding an inefficient way to deliver campaign donations for every Seattle voter.

Proponents could contend that the Democracy voucher program isn’t supposed to operate like a charity or a traditional campaign donation process. It’s a program to engage and empower voters and candidates who have been left out of the traditional political process.

As the first city in the nation to enact such a program, as with the $15 minimum wage, Seattle will again become the testing ground for an initiative that will pique nationwide political interest.

If your vouchers are lost or stolen, you can contact SEEC for replacements.