October 28, 2024
The Hidden Barriers to Voting While Unhoused
By Evan Robins
Turnout is low among people experiencing homelessness–a result of restrictive registration laws, political disaffection, and the misconception that they’re not allowed to vote.
(David L. Ryan / Getty)
In preparation for the November election, the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen in New Haven, Connecticut, has begun incorporating voter registration information into the intake process at its drop-in resource center. Many unhoused people, according to Steve Werlin, the executive director, didn’t realize that they can vote without a permanent address. “The perception of eligibility is the biggest stumbling block,” Werlin said.
Voter turnout among people experiencing homelessness is understudied, but the best available data suggests the numbers are very, very low. The most recent study on the topic, on the 2012 elections, estimates that only 10 percent of eligible voters experiencing homelessness actually voted—a fraction of the overall turnout of the country’s voting-age population, which was 54 percent.
Some may make a personal political choice not to vote. Others face barriers to registering and receiving election information without a permanent address. But even more pressing, experts say, is the widespread misconception that people cannot vote.
