The Alliance also encouraged providers to consult resources available through the Every One Votes toolkit, which includes guidance on documentation people experiencing homelessness may need to register and vote; insight into ID and address requirements in their state; and important guidelines on how to assist people in registering and voting in a non-partisan way. The toolkit also includes state-specific information about early voting, mail-in voting, and getting out the vote.
“Citizens who are experiencing homelessness — including those sleeping in shelters and those who are unsheltered — have the right to vote ,” said Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “Housing and homelessness are important election issues this year. Policies that will help people exit homelessness won’t just be decided through the presidential election, but in many local elections and via ballot measures as well. No one will be more impacted by the results than the people we serve, and they deserve to have a voice in this process.”
Oliva further emphasized that supporting the right to vote is an essential step in advancing racial justice for people experiencing homelessness.
“We know that Black Americans, Latinos, and other marginalized groups disproportionately experience homelessness, and have for generations faced efforts to have their votes suppressed,” she continued. “It is our collective responsibility to support and encourage the people we serve to participate in our nation’s democratic process and to help reverse the systemic disenfranchisement they face each day.”
For more information, please visit the Every One Votes resource page.
