The Importance of Voting and its Impact on Affordable Housing
Election season is this fall, and Habitat invites you to learn about affordable housing issues and how your vote can make a difference.
Why do we vote?
It may seem like a simple place to start, but before we discuss how and why we become housing voters, we need to examine how and why we become voters. In short, we vote to influence how we want the future to look.
Voting is your chance to weigh in on who represents you, what issues a candidate prioritizes that are important to you, and how we can use our votes to respond to a constantly changing world as individuals and communities.
In the United States, we most often hear about voting every four years during presidential elections, but that is not the only important election that occurs. If you believe that voting only happens every four years when all the campaign commercials are displayed on TV, think again. Other important elections happen at various times throughout the year including races for state and local officials (board of education, sheriff, judicial candidates, and others).
These races may be partisan where voters side with a certain political party, or non-partisan. Finally, an election may include a primary process to narrow down candidates; as well as a call for special elections to fill a vacancy.
How does voting affect affordable housing?
Many policies at the local, state, and federal levels influence affordable housing, ranging from economic and social policies to city planning and infrastructure regulations. When it comes to being a housing voter, local and state elections often have more impact than their national counterparts on affordable housing because smaller governments can set and change zoning laws, allocate funds, and approve projects in specific districts.
Being a “housing voter”, as a form of advocacy means, using your voice and your vote to make your representatives aware of the housing issues in your area and to let them know that affordable housing matters to you. After all, they are representatives: elected officials who make decisions on behalf of their constituents so that people from all over your local municipality, state, and country have someone advocating for their needs in the government.
Everyone who lives and works in our community deserves a safe, decent, and affordable place to live. When families and individuals experience the benefits of stable housing and ultimately, the American Dream of homeownership, we have safer communities, increased high school graduation rates, more participation in the workforce, additional tax revenue to support city services and lifted neighborhoods.
How do I become a housing voter?
- First things first: REGISTER TO VOTE! The deadline to register is very quickly approaching. If you are already registered, great job! Still, check your registration status just in case—occasionally, a system glitch or human error causes someone to lose their registration status. You can check to make sure you are still registered HERE. Keep in mind that the city of Charlotte is the only municipality in Mecklenburg, Gaston, or Iredell County that will hold primary elections on September 9th, and all other municipalities will hold the general election on November 4th.
- Research your local elections. Find out who is running in your area and what their platforms are. See if they have specific views or statements about affordable housing. Take the time to look through their websites—remember, anyone can say anything in a speech or commercial! Reading a candidate’s published platform is a more direct way to make sure you know exactly what they stand for.
- Inform candidates about why affordable housing is important to you. Whether you prefer attending forums or making phone calls, there are so many ways to let candidates know that affordable housing is an issue you and your community care about. Make sure to let them know up front, especially if they are running in their first election! Getting a candidate to champion affordable housing and homeownership issues from day one in the office is a fantastic way to ensure changes are made.
- Make a plan to vote and encourage your friends and family to do the same. If you are planning to vote in-person on Election Day, make sure you know where your assigned polling place is located. You also may need to take some time off work (check with your employer to see if they offer paid time off to vote)—lines can be hours long on Election Day! If you do not have the time or resources to vote on Election Day itself, rest assured, there are other options in place. You can participate in early voting at one of your district’s approved locations, or you can request an absentee ballot if you prefer to skip the booth altogether. Absentee ballots are also a great option if you want to research each candidate as you fill out your ballot!
Do your part!
Do your part in the voting booth, and make sure to follow the steps above to ensure your voice is heard this election season!
Here are some important voting dates and deadlines:
- August 15th – The last day to register to vote
- August 21st – Early voting for Primary Election (City of Charlotte) begins
- September 6th – Early voting for Primary Election (City of Charlotte) ends
- September 9th – Primary Election Day
- October 16th– Early voting for General Election begins
- November 1st– Early voting for General Election ends
- November 4th – Election Day, polls open from 6:30 A.M to 7:30 P.M.
Voter Information
To learn more about voter registration and upcoming deadlines in your county, click on the following links: