Tomorrow (Tuesday, November 5) is Election Day, and NLIHC encourages our members and partners to make their voices heard at the ballot box. Affordable homes are built with ballots, and elections at every level of government – from local City Halls to the Oval Office – will shape the future of our nation’s housing policy. To make your voting plan and learn what to expect on your ballot, visit ourhomes.turbovote.org.
Many communities will weigh in directly on housing policy through state or local ballot measures. NLIHC is tracking more than 100 state and local ballot measures relating to housing and homelessness and will report the results in next week’s Memo and in a comprehensive report to be published in December.
Voter turnout disparities between low-income renters and high-income homeowners are a persistent obstacle to achieving racially and socially equitable housing policies that serve renters with the lowest incomes. Low-income renters face disproportionate barriers to voting, including deliberate voter suppression tactics targeting communities of color, that make them less likely to vote than higher-income renters and homeowners. In the 2022 midterm elections, 58% of homeowners voted, compared with just 37% of renters. While 67% of people with incomes over $100,000 voted in 2022, just 33% of people with incomes below $20,000 voted. Because elected officials are incentivized to prioritize the concerns of constituents who vote at higher rates, these voter turnout disparities limit the political will for investments in deeply affordable homes and strong renter protections.
NLIHC’s nonpartisan Our Homes, Our Votes campaign seeks to close the voter turnout gap, elevate housing as an election issue, and build the political will for housing justice. The campaign provides tools and resources for housing and homelessness advocates, tenant leaders, service providers, and other partners to register, educate, and mobilize voters. As Election Day approaches, Our Homes, Our Votes encourages you to use the following resources to cast your ballot with confidence and boost voter turnout in your community.
- Make a Plan: Visit ourhomes.turbovote.org to find your nearest polling location or ballot drop box, preview the candidates and measures on your ballot, and review state-specific voting rules.
- Mobilize Others: Once you’ve made your plan to vote, text or email ourhomes.turbovote.org to three friends, neighbors, or family members to ensure they have a plan to vote, too.
- Protect the Vote: If your right to vote is being challenged, or if you encounter voter intimidation or misinformation, call or text the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (English), 866-VE-Y-VOTA (Spanish), 888-API-VOTE (multiple Asian languages), or 844-YALLA-US (Arabic). The hotline is staffed by trained volunteers that are equipped to protect your right to vote.
- Get a Ride to the Polls: Uber and Lyft offer 50% discounts on Election Day (up to $10) that can be used for a one-way ride to the polls. To access the discount, click the “Go Vote” icon in Uber or use the code “VOTE24” in Lyft. Rideshare2Vote Aware, a nonpartisan nonprofit, offers rides in regions of 17 states (AZ, CO, FL, GA, IL, KY, MI, NV, NH, NM, NC, OH, PA, TN, TX, VA, and WI). Click here to request a ride.
- Spread the Word: Use the Our Homes, Our Votes media toolkit to spread the word about voting and generate enthusiasm on Election Day. Be sure to use the hashtag #OurHomesOurVotes and tag @OurHomesVotes in your posts!
- Learn More: For resources on why voting matters for tenants, including tenant leaders’ own perspectives on the democratic process, check out the latest edition of “Tenant Talk: Voting as Collective Action.”
- Get Out the Vote: For comprehensive nonpartisan get-out-the-vote resources, including a nonpartisan voter mobilization phone call script, visit the Our Homes, Our Votes website.
Thank you for being a voter and for encouraging voter turnout in your communities! To connect with the Our Homes, Our Votes campaign, email [email protected].