Harm Reduction + The Power of Voting
A Guide To Help You Register & Cast Your Vote
Thank you to Harm Reduction Coalition and Rose MacKenzie for their support developing this guide.
Why Should I Vote?
People who use drugs, and their friends and families, envision a world where we all can live safe and healthy lives without fear of judgment or criminal consequence. Voting is one tool we can use to help create that world. Through voting, we can elect lawmakers that will take actions to ensure our community has access to the services we need like naloxone, safe syringe exchange, safe consumption sites, and comprehensive healthcare, as well as reduce arrests and incarceration for drug-related instances.
We all have different relationships with voting, and sometimes it can feel like your vote doesn’t matter, or that the system doesn’t work for you. While it’s important to find the pathways for social change that match your values, using your vote allows you to participate in important decisions for your community:
When you vote during a presidential election, not only are you voting for a presidential candidate, but you are also voting for the person who will pick federal judges at every level across the country. Once judges are appointed, they remain in their position for life or until they retire. Judges who understand and support harm reduction may support low-barrier naloxone access, treatment over incarceration for drug related offenses, and progressive drug policy laws. Your vote has the power to appoint judges that support our communities.
Depending on the state you live in, you can vote for your local sheriff and/or prosecutor. They have the ability to decide things like whether and how a drug arrest will be prosecuted and whether first responders should be required to be trained in and carry naloxone. Your vote has the power to elect sheriffs and prosecutors that will support our communities and won’t stand in the way of reforms.
When you vote for your city and state officials, you are electing the people who determine how much of your city/state budget goes towards policing, education, and healthcare. It is critical that we invest in our communities and services that support and uplift us. Your vote has the power to make budgets that fund the services we need.
And remember, you are not alone in casting your vote to support people who use drugs. More and more voters support harm reduction policies - even as early as 2014 in the last major survey on the subject, 83% of voters across party lines agreed the U.S. should focus on rehabilitation over incarceration for drug-related instances. The more of us who register and vote, the higher those numbers will be.
Can I Vote?
The rules around voting are different from state to state, and that can be confusing. You can contact your local election officials or look up your state on Vote.gov to find out what the rules are in your state. You might prefer using resources like When We All Vote or ACLU’s voter information page that are more streamlined in helping you navigate your state’s election rules and will help you check your registration or register online.
Here are some answers to some common questions:
How old do I need to be?
You need to be 18 at the time of the election to vote in national elections, although some states allow individuals who are 17 to vote in the primaries, provided they will be 18 when the general election takes place in November of an election year.
Do I need to be a citizen?
Yes, you must be a United States citizen to vote in any election. You cannot vote in an election if you are a DREAMER or have DACA status, or if you have a social security number strictly for working purposes. If you are unsure of your documentation or status in any way, please do not register to vote until you are 100% sure of your status. Registering to vote as an undocumented person in the US is against the law and may hinder your ability to become a citizen in the future
What if I have a warrant, have been arrested, or have been convicted of a crime?
The laws around voting after a conviction vary widely from state to state, you can find info for your specific state here, but don’t assume that you cannot vote just because you’ve come into contact with law enforcement. In general, you will not lose your right to vote because of a warrant or an arrest, and if you have been convicted you may have never lost the right to vote, have lost it only while incarcerated, or have had your right to vote automatically restored after release and/or after completion of your sentence (parole and/or probation). In some states, however, there may be a waiting period or you may have to take additional action to be able to register to vote. Do not register to vote if you are unsure about the status of your case or still have unpaid fees in relation to your sentence (parole and/or probation) until you speak to an election official in your jurisdiction.
Do I need a permanent address?
You must meet your state’s residency requirement and have a mailing address in order to vote. However, people experiencing houselessness have the right to vote in all 50 states. It is recommended houseless registrants list a shelter address as their voting address where they could receive mail. Most states have some duration of residency requirements for voter registration – for example, having resided for 30 days or more before the Election Day in the state or county. Contact your local election officials or look at When We All Vote or ACLU’s voter information page to find out what the rules are in your state.
What if I can’t remember if I’ve registered or voted in the past?
It’s easy to forget if you registered to vote but haven’t voted recently, and it’s possible that if you don’t vote regularly your state can remove you from the voter rolls, meaning you need to register again. If you aren’t sure if you’re registered, you can check your registration status either with your local election officials, at Can I Vote, or through When We All Vote.
What if I won’t be home or available to vote on election day?
If you won’t be able to vote in person (or don’t feel comfortable doing so) on election day there are still ways for you to vote. All states allow some form of absentee voting, and most states have early voting and allow voting by mail in some instances, particularly during COVID-19. Some states require voters to provide an excuse of why they can’t show up on election day in order to vote absentee. Risk of COVID-19 is considered an excuse this year in most states, and not being home for other reasons including if you will be entering residential treatment is a valid excuse. If you need help figuring out if you are eligible or requesting an absentee ballot you can look at the resources at When We All Vote or the ACLU’s voter information page.
How Do I Vote?
STEP 1: REGISTER
Registration is done at the state level, so you need to register to vote with your state. You can do that in person, by mail through your local election office, or in some states you can register online which you can do at Vote.gov or When We All Vote.
STEP 2: RESEARCH POLITICAL PARTIES, CANDIDATES, AND ISSUES
Being an informed voter allows you to choose the candidate that best represents your values and will put in place policies you want to see. You can research candidates by looking at their websites, reading local or national reporting about them, or looking at advocacy organizations you trust that put out candidate guides. You should review this information and consider how it aligns with your personal beliefs about how the government should function.
STEP 3: FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE AND KNOW THE RULES
Before you go to vote you want to know where your polling place is, what the hours are, and whether there are rules like needing to show a photo ID. You can look up the answers to these questions at Vote.gov or When We All Vote. It’s a good idea to bring a photo ID or a bill, pay stub, or government document showing your name and current address just in case.
STEP 4: CAST YOUR BALLOT
There are a lot of ways to vote, especially this year. As always, you have the option to go in person to vote at your local polling place on election day. However, in the midst of COVID-19 states are making it much easier to register to vote by mail. This might be called ‘vote by mail’ or ‘absentee voting’ in your jurisdiction, both of which mean you will request a ballot be mailed to you and once you fill it out and sign it, mail the ballot back in the prepackaged envelope and you have officially voted. You can get help registering to vote by mail at Vote.gov or When We All Vote.
Voters in 39 states also have the option to vote early, which means you can go in person to a polling site before election day to cast your ballot. It’s important that you check where the early voting polling sites are, as they are probably not the same as your local polling place on election day, as well as the dates and times they are open. You can find this information on this website, or in the information at When We All Vote or the ACLU’s voter information page.
What if I Have Problems?
As long as you are eligible and have registered to vote in your state, you have rights as a voter. Read up on your rights at the ACLU’s site but always remember you have the right to:
Cast a ballot if you are a valid registered voter and you are in line at a polling place by 8pm on election day.
Cast a provisional ballot if your name is not listed on the voting rolls
Request a new ballot if you think you made a mistake before submitting your vote.
Receive election material in another language.
Have an accessible polling place and have assistance in voting if you have a disability.
If you have problems or questions on Election Day, call the nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline:
English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683
Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682
Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US / 1-844-925-5287
For Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: 1-888-274-8683
Voting Links
Find Your Local Election Office https://www.usa.gov/election-office
When We all Vote www.whenweallvote.org
Know Your Voting Rights https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/voting-rights/
State by State Voter Information https://www.aclu.org/voter/
Confirm Voter Registration https://www.nass.org/can-I-vote/voter-registration-status
Indigenous Action Voting is Not Harm Reduction