Voter suppression laws and tactics are rapidly increasing (see “The State of Voter Suppression Laws,” above). These practices affect an especially marginalized group that is already underserved, unheard, and facing unique barriers when it comes to participating in elections: people experiencing homelessness. Low-income voters, especially those experiencing homelessness, are consistently underrepresented at the polls, which limits their voice in our democracy. An estimated 10% of people who are experiencing homelessness vote, compared to the 60% of the homeless population eligible to vote and the record 67% of the general voting-age population that voted in the 2020 election.
People experiencing homelessness face systemic barriers to voting in each state, such as lack of identification and difficulties getting to the polls. The unprecedented voter suppression legislation passed in 2021 will undoubtedly further hinder access to the polls for people experiencing homelessness. A study conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Diego found “that strict photo identification laws have a differentially negative impact on the turnout of Hispanics, Blacks, and mixed-race Americans in primaries and general elections.” The groups that are negatively impacted by voter suppression laws are also overrepresented in the homeless population.
A significant obstacle for people experiencing homelessness is the lack of information available to educate and inform these individuals about their rights and how they may vote while living without homes. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) released a voter guide for people experiencing homelessness outlining seven steps to ensure people have the tools they need to exercise their fundamental right to vote. USICH also released an election guide for homeless service providers who can assist people who do not have a permanent address. Both guides are available in English, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, and Tagalog. USICH released the guides as part of the Biden administration’s effort to empower “all eligible Americans – regardless of their housing status – to fully participate in our democracy.”
- A research project conducted by Street Sense Media made five primary recommendations for organizations and advocates aiming to encourage voter participation among low-income and homeless individuals:
- Collaborating with other organizations increases access to scarce resources. Working together is free and helps social service organizations coordinate services such as registration, voting, and transportation services for homeless citizens.
- Utilizing technology helps social service providers effectively communicate with homeless voters and solve misinformation and miscommunication problems.
- Providing a mail address service can help homeless voters receive mail ballots and vote by mail. The mail address service also eliminates the impediment people without homes face in not having a mailing address, which is a barrier to registering to vote.
- Providing homeless voters with transportation to the polls, such as vouchers for public transportation or rideshare services, can solve the limited mobility and disability barrier that many homeless voters have.
- Running voter registration drives increases registration numbers and voter participation.