Early voting and Election Day are both rapidly approaching. Ensuring that the voices of people experiencing homelessness are heard at the ballot box is important now more than ever. Here are some steps for homeless services providers to keep in mind to help clients vote as election season approaches:
- If registration is still open, help your clients register to vote. Registering to vote is easy in almost all states and helping your clients to get registered is an allowable activity for federally-funded service providers. Our friends at the National Low Income Housing Coalition have set up a website to assist in this effort.
- Assist your clients in obtaining proper ID for your state. Research and help your clients stay in compliance with state law by ensuring they have the proper identification when it is time to vote.
- Educate your clients. Creating voter guides is one of the best ways to educate clients on the candidates and issues on the ballot. In lieu of creating your own guide, there may be other non-partisan groups in your area that may have voter guides you can use.
- Take advantage of early voting. Confirm when in-person voting begins in your area, as most states allow their citizens to vote well before Election Day. You can also help your clients with absentee ballots or voting by mail (if permissible by your state).
- Reduce barriers to shelter. If your shelter has a curfew, please suspend it in advance of Election Day so that clients don’t have to choose between exercising their right to vote and having a bed to sleep in. This may mean adjusting staffing in advance, as well.
- On Election Day, help your clients get to the polls. You can offer transportation assistance by using car/van pools, public transportation assistance, or providing bus/subway route information. Non-partisan voting groups in your area may also provide transportation to the polls. Also consider providing your clients with water in case of long lines, or items to stay warm in case of cold weather.
The National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), and the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) all have resources to help you with Election Day and create a voting plan to make sure everyone in your community can access their right to vote.
- NAEH: Every One Votes Toolkit
- NLIHC: Our Homes, Our Votes Resources
- NCH: You Don’t Need a Home to Vote Campaign
Have a great election season!