Guidance on Registering Clients to Vote and Get Out the Vote (GOTV) Efforts for Homeless Providers (webinar)

September 23, 2020  |  Videos

The National Alliance to End Homelessness, the Fair Elections Center, and the Alliance for Justice’s Bolder Advocacy Program hosted a webinar for providers to discover ways to quickly and effectively ramp up voter registration efforts, understand how to legally and appropriately engage in this work, and learn how to address common issues that clients may face while trying to register to vote.  

Watch the Webinar

Download the Slides 

Webinar Takeaways

  • It’s not too late to start your efforts, but HURRY! Know the registration deadlines, and eligibility rules for your state when you begin your registration efforts. Some states allow you to register on election day (November 3rd), others require registration before election day, some 30 days before the election. 
  • Homeless providers can engage in voter registration and get out the vote efforts, depending on funding sources and the type of business or non-profit classification, such as a 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), for different business classifications, the rules may differ.
  • Make sure your Get Out the Vote (GOTV) efforts encourages all eligible voters to vote, are not bias for or against a party or candidate, are not coordinated with any party or candidate, and is targeted for a nonpartisan reason.  
  • People Experiencing homelessness DO NOT need a home to vote. When assisting clients and determining a place of residence, some states allow the registrant to provide the address of a shelter or  a provider’s organization that they frequent often, in other states voter registration forms include a map to indicate a specific location. 
  • Some states allow you to remotely assist your clients with pre-filled forms, some DO NOT, review the rules with your local election office. 

Resources from the Presentations