National Alliance to End Homelessness Kicks Off Nonpartisan Voter Engagement Effort

Every One Votes Initiative Seeks to Ensure that People Experiencing Homelessness Can Exercise a Fundamental American Right

September 21, 2020, Washington, D.C. – The National Alliance to End Homelessness today
announced Every One Votes, a nonpartisan initiative to ensure that people experiencing homeless are registered to vote and are able to exercise their right to do so. The effort provides information, resources, and a downloadable toolkit to help service providers support their clients’ voter registration efforts and encourage voter turnout. It also features a campaign pledge to support this important effort.

“The right to vote is fundamental to our nation, and should never be denied or hindered because of a person’s housing status. People who are homeless do have a right to vote, including those sleeping in shelters and those who are unsheltered,” said Nan Roman, President & CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “As the nation participates in National Voter Registration Day this week, we encourage all providers to use these new tools and resources so that their clients have an active say in our system of government and the decisions that affects them as citizens.”

Receiving help to register and vote are especially important for people experiencing homelessness, whose lives are deeply affected by the decisions made by elected officials. Help is doubly needed because people who are homeless face many barriers in registering and voting because of their lack of housing and an address. Their challenges can be compounded by restrictions and protocols associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is also important to remember that voting is a matter of racial justice,” Roman continued. “We know that African Americans, Latinxs, and other minority groups are disproportionately homeless and face disproportionate challenges to voting. We all have a responsibility to ensure that this compounded injustice does not stand. We can address that responsibility by supporting and encouraging our clients to access and exercise their rights to participate in civic life.”

The National Alliance to End Homelessness urges providers to utilize the Every One Votes toolkit to explore state-specific registration deadlines and ID requirements, as well as guidelines for options such as online registration, early voting, and mail-in voting, among others.

Over the coming weeks, the Every One Votes campaign will introduce webinars, videos, and other guidance to further support those working to boost voter registration and engagement among people experiencing homelessness. Interested parties are encouraged to begin their engagement by visiting the Every One Votes Web page, and pledging to help people who are homeless participate in the upcoming election.

About the National Alliance to End Homelessness

The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. As a leading voice on the issue of homelessness, the Alliance analyzes policy and develops pragmatic, cost-effective solutions; works collaboratively with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build state and local capacity; and provides data and research to policymakers and elected officials in order to inform policy debates and educate the public and opinion leaders nationwide.