Homeless people have the right to vote, but often lack the ability to do so

There is no constitutional requirement to have a domicile to vote. In practice, however, it can sometimes appear that this is the case.

People experiencing homelessness often struggle to meet voter ID requirements, stay registered to vote, or get to voting locations, among other obstacles. Although 54 percent of all eligible voters turned out to vote in 2012, only about 10 percent of homeless citizens cast ballots.

“If we could get that number to 20 or 30 percent, that would make a big difference, especially with local elections,” said Donald Whitehead, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. “When people consider structuring voter rights laws, they should think about every citizen, not just those who are wealthy or have means. »

Homelessness – and the difficulties it causes when it comes to voting – affects a growing population. The number of people experiencing homelessness in 2023 was the highest the Department of Housing and Urban Development has recorded since it began conducting annual point-in-time surveys in 2007.

Some jurisdictions have policies that have increased the barriers homeless people face in voting. But others have explored ways to alleviate the difficulties. “States have been really creative and inventive about ways to solve this problem,” says Steve Simon, Minnesota secretary of state and president of the National Association of Secretaries of State.

Measures that make voting more accessible to people experiencing homelessness can benefit others, including anyone who has difficulty obtaining care for their children or elders, missing work, or traveling to the polling stations, as well as anyone having difficulty obtaining documents indicating a traditional address. “Talking about the challenges faced by unhoused voters illustrates why it is so important for states to provide safe, convenient, and accessible voting for all,” says Andrew Garber, voting rights advisor at the Brennan Center for Justice.

Provide an address when you don’t have one

One of the barriers facing homeless people is the requirement in every state to provide a physical and mailing address when registering to vote. This makes sense on its face, since an address will determine which local races they can weigh in on.

However, not all voters have a fixed postal address or even an ID or other document proving their residence. While this includes those sleeping in shelters, public parks or other makeshift places, it also includes people who are sheltered but moved too recently to have utility bills at their new address. There are also people who live in areas without traditional address grid systems, like tribal reservations, Simon says.

Federal voter registration forms explicitly allow voters to give a physical description of where they sleep, whether it’s a street corner, a park, or another location, but voters who use them must follow state-specific rules. About half of states allow voters to draw a map or diagram showing where they live, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

“There is no requirement to be able to vote basic that you have a fixed, permanent address at any given time,” Simon said. “Where they lay their heads matters for where they vote, but not whether they have the right to vote.”

In Minnesota, certain verification precautions are taken when a person uses a non-traditional address. The state uses a “guarantor” system, whereby these voters must go to the polls accompanied by a registered voter from their precinct who will swear, under penalty of perjury, that the person lives where they claim to. And voters must always provide some form of documentation proving their identity, even if it’s just a high school ID or an expired ID card.

Obtain and maintain identification documents

Some states that require ID to vote in person will allow people who do not have one to vote, as long as they sign an affidavit. But others are stricter and won’t count the votes of anyone who didn’t have ID on Election Day and hasn’t returned with ID in the following days. (Fourteen states and the District of Columbia do not require proof of identity to vote.)

Strict voter ID requirements can be tricky for those in unstable situations. Documents can be easily lost during moves, stolen from shelters or seized by police when clearing camps. Some documents, such as social security cards, which cannot be laminated, can be destroyed by rain when people sleep outside. Obtaining new IDs can also be difficult for those who struggle to obtain necessary transportation or money to pay the fee.

Indiana offers indigent voters an exemption from the state’s photo ID requirements. However, claiming this exemption may require ensuring reliable transportation, as individuals must travel to county election offices within a certain time frame to assert that they deserve the exemption.

A useful approach that states could take would be to allow library cards or benefits cards to serve as identification, which are easier to obtain and replace than state-issued IDs, suggests Whitehead, of the National Coalition for the Homeless.

Postal voting and logistics

Early voting options can help by granting more options and flexibility. More convenient voting locations also help. For example, some jurisdictions set up polling places at food banks, social service centers, libraries and other similar places, Simon says. Some states also have a “vote center” model, which allows citizens to vote in several different locations rather than just one specific, designated polling location.

Mail-in or mail-in ballots help eliminate transportation needs, while also relieving time constraints for employed people who must rush to shelters to meet the 5 p.m. registration deadline. But it can be difficult to ensure that ballots sent to shared mailboxes at homeless shelters reach the right recipient. Voters who cannot reliably receive mail also have a harder time receiving election updates – such as changes to polling locations – or knowing if they are at risk of being removed from the rolls. electoral.

In Oregon, where elections are conducted entirely by mail, people without home addresses or reliable postal service can receive ballots at places they frequent, like shelters and food banks, according to Director Laura Kerns of Communications from the Oregon Secretary of State. They can also pick up ballots at the county election office.

Other states are less flexible. Georgia, for example, requires all unhoused people to use the county recorder’s office as their mailing and registration address. But county registrars aren’t set up to deliver mail, so voters must regularly visit them to check for important election messages or risk missing them.

Show up to vote

Homeless citizens may face difficulties with election officials who are unsure how to handle voters registered at nontraditional addresses. Workers might ask potential voters to come back later, which could discourage them from completing the process.

Simon says his state ensures poll workers are trained on how to accommodate homeless voters. Most, but not all, states require poll workers to undergo training, with Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Utah among the exceptions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Confusion isn’t the only problem: discrimination can also occur. People experiencing homelessness are not always able to present themselves with the best hygiene or appearance. “People are sometimes turned away because of their appearance,” Whitehead says.

Homeless people may not themselves realize that they meet the voters’ eligibility requirements. They may not be aware of their options, including the ability in some jurisdictions to use a shelter as their address. For people with criminal records, misinformation about the possibility of re-enfranchisement can be another barrier.

Other times, the challenges of just getting by can make it seem like voting isn’t a priority. “If you’re struggling – like 99% of homeless people – they might not feel like voting makes a difference to them, so you also feel that level of apathy,” Whitehead says.