Tomorrow (Tuesday, November 8) is Election Day, and voting is already well underway across the country. NLIHC encourages all our members and partners to make their voices heard and participate in the election. Elected officials are more likely to pay attention to the concerns of their constituents who vote at higher rates, but because of disproportionately high barriers to voting, low-income renters are less likely to vote than higher-income renters and homeowners. As NLIHC members and partners, you can help to close the voter turnout gap and encourage candidates to prioritize affordable housing issues by casting your ballots and getting out the vote in your own communities.
In the 2020 presidential election, 71% of homeowners voted, compared with a turnout rate of 55% for renters. While 83% of people with incomes over $100,000 voted in 2020, just 49% of people with incomes below $20,000 voted. To build the political will for bold housing solutions at every level of government, NLIHC’s nonpartisan Our Homes, Our Votes campaign works to boost voter turnout among low-income renters and demonstrate that they are a powerful voting bloc to whom elected officials must be accountable.
If you have not already voted early or by mail, visit Vote411.org or use Vote Early Day’s Voter Tool to make your plan to vote tomorrow. Once you’ve made your voting plan, encourage three friends or family members to do so, too!
Here are some additional resources to make voting more accessible and ensure your vote is counted:
- The nonpartisan Election Protection Coalition manages Election Protection Hotlines in multiple languages. If you have questions about voting or if your right to vote is being challenged, call 866-OUR-VOTE (English), 888-VE-Y-VOTA (Spanish), 844-YALLA-US (Arabic), or 1-888-API-VOTE (English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, and Bengali/Bangla). Visit 866ourvote.org for more information.
- Check out the Social Media Toolkit for sample language and social media posts to spread the word about voter protection.
- Lyft is offering a 50% discount (up to $10) on rideshares, bikeshares, and scooter rides to the polls on Election Day (November 8). Preload the code VOTE22 into the Lyft app before Election Day and the discount will be applied to your ride to the polling place. Visit Lyft’s website for more information.
- The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness compiles two tools to encourage voter participation among people experiencing homelessness: an election checklist for individuals experiencing homelessness and a guide for service providers to help clients vote.
- Our Homes, Our Votes offers comprehensive resources related to nonpartisan voter and candidate engagement at ourhomes-ourvotes.org, including a media toolkit with sample content that you can share on Election Day. Be sure to use the hashtag #OurHomesOurVotes22 and tag @OurHomesVotes in your posts!
For more information about NLIHC’s nonpartisan Our Homes, Our Votes campaign, visit ourhomes-ourvotes.org or email [email protected].