By Tia Turner, NLIHC
The 2026 elections will give voters an opportunity to shape decisions at every level of government. On November 3, voters will decide all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, 33 U.S. Senate seats, and 36 governorships. More than 6,100 state legislative seats are also scheduled for election, along with thousands of local offices that influence the policies and resources affecting people’s daily lives.
For renters, the 2026 election cycle arrives at a critical moment. Over the past year, significant developments have affected voting rights, political representation, and access to the ballot. From the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais (https://tr.ee/afjbkj) to ongoing legal challenges involving mail-in voting and changes to congressional maps, the rules governing how people participate in our democracy continue to evolve.
These developments are not separate from housing. The people elected to office make decisions about affordable housing, rental assistance, public housing, tenant protections, homelessness programs, transportation, community development, and other resources that shape people’s homes and communities. When renters face barriers to participating in elections or when communities lose meaningful opportunities for representation, their ability to influence these decisions is diminished.
This is why National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Our Homes, Our Votes (OHOV) campaign is especially important in 2026. OHOV is a nonpartisan campaign working to register, educate, and mobilize low-income renters and affordable housing advocates to participate in elections. The campaign recognizes that renters, particularly low-income renters, remain severely underrepresented in the political process and that increasing renter participation is essential to building political power for housing justice.
The need to address these barriers is clear. Many eligible voters face challenges that can prevent them from registering or participating in elections, including not knowing how to register, forgetting to update their registration, limited time, busy schedules, or moving to a new address. These challenges can be particularly significant for renters, who are more likely to move frequently and may need to update their voter registration when they change addresses. Other barriers, including transportation challenges, childcare responsibilities, disability, housing instability, and limited access to reliable election information, can also make voting more difficult. Addressing these practical barriers is an important part of ensuring that renters have a meaningful opportunity to participate in elections and make their voices heard.
As the 2026 midterms approach, understanding these barriers and knowing where to find accurate, nonpartisan information is more important than ever.