- The right to vote is not a right that we can take for granted. Landmark voting rights protections for marginalized communities – including the 15th Amendment granting Black men the right to vote, the 19th Amendment granting some women the right to vote, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawing racial discrimination in voting – were the product of extensive organizing and sacrifice.
- When we exercise the right to vote, we have the power to enact real change. Voting is often perceived as a symbolic gesture and not an important action. The act of voting is meaningful, intentional, and empowers not only you but also those in your community. By voting regularly and for offices up and down the ballot, you can vote for a fair democracy and a just housing system that provides more resources and support to the lowest-income renters and people experiencing homelessness.
- Elections affect our daily lives. In every election, you vote for issues or people that will affect your life as a low-income renter. For example, the people we elect at the federal level set the budget for public housing, which determines whether our buildings get the repairs they need. They decide whether to increase spending on Housing Choice Vouchers, which can enable more people to get off the waitlist. State lawmakers can also pass laws that protect people who are at risk of eviction. Local elected officials can make zoning decisions that pave the way for building more affordable homes in a wider range of neighborhoods.
- Voting is about more than just the presidential and congressional elections. Depending on where you live, your state’s governor, your city’s mayor, your local school board members, or other offices may be on the ballot. These races might not get as much attention in the news as the presidential election, but they are just as important. State and local elected officials make decisions about many issues that directly affect your community – including schools, parks, public transit, and of course housing!
- Your vote can make the difference. Some elections, especially local elections with low turnout rates, are decided by only a couple votes. State legislative races are often won by only a few hundred votes, and these legislators have the power to greatly impact the lives of low-income renters. Because voter turnout is usually lower in state and local elections, the electorate is even more skewed towards higher-income voters and homeowners, so it’s especially important for renters to make their voices heard and ensure that their state and local elected officials represent their priorities.
- Voting builds your community’s power. When voter turnout is higher in your building or neighborhood, candidates will realize the voting power of your community and will feel more motivated to advocate in support of low-income housing and tenants’ rights.
- Many state and local elections include ballot measures, which give voters the opportunity to weigh in on policy and make decisions directly. Communities have successfully used ballot measures to pass bold policies that improve the lives of the lowest-income renters. In the past few years alone, voters have approved billions of dollars for affordable homes and passed some of the country’s most ambitious measures to strengthen tenant protections, such as rent stabilization ordinances, just cause eviction laws, and the right to counsel in eviction court. Voting on a ballot measure is a powerful way to directly shape the future of your community. In many cases, community members can even craft the text of a ballot initiative themselves and collect petition signatures to place the measure on the ballot. If an issue you care about is not on the ballot this year, consider organizing to put it on the ballot in the next election!
- You can encourage candidates to prioritize the issues that matter to your community. If you feel the candidates on your ballot don’t understand the issues that affect low-income renters, take the opportunity to educate them! Remember, when elected officials are on the campaign trail, they are competing to win your vote, so they have a stake in listening to your concerns and taking your priorities seriously.