The Coalition on Homelessness has been busy providing outreach and education to our unhoused neighbors. It is important to remember that EVERYONE has a voice and VOTING in your local elections is one of the best ways to make your voice heard!
Keep reading for 4 takeaways this voting season:
1. No home address? You can still vote!
To register to vote, you need:
- A residential address, which can be anywhere you spend most of your time. This address will determine what shows up on your ballot, such as candidates and levies in your neighborhood. For example, if you spend most of your time near the Downtown Urban Rest Stop, your residential address can be ‘1924 9th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101’ or ‘9th Ave & Virginia St’.
- A mailing address, which is anywhere you receive mail. For example, if you receive mail at the Compass Center, your mailing address is ’77 S. Washington St, Seattle, WA, 98104’.
*NOTE that your residential address and mailing address don’t have to be the same!
Want to print a fact sheet for an unhoused neighbor? Check out this one-pager!
2. You can vote with felony convictions!
As of 2022, it is easier than ever to vote with past felony convictions in Washington! In the legislative 2021-22 session, HB 1078 passed, allowing people who have been convicted of a felony in WA to have voting rights restored, including people who are currently on community supervision! That means that if you are not under total confinement of WA Department of Corrections and you fit other eligibility criteria, you can vote!
Want to print a fact sheet for someone with felony convictions? Check out this one-pager!
3. There are lots of ways to register to vote without an ID!
One great thing about voting in Washington is that you don’t need an ID to register to vote! If registering via mail or in-person at an elections center, you can register by submitting the last four digits of your social security number.
- To register via mail, print a registration form from this King County Elections webpage and mail it to the King County Elections office. To register via mail, your form must be received by the King County Elections office at least 8 days before Election Day.
*NOTE – you need access to a printer and postage to mail this form.
- To register in-person, you can visit one of six Vote Centers in King County – see locations at this King County Elections webpage. You can register in-person until Election Day.
- You can also register online with a State ID or Driver’s License – available until 8 days before Election Day.
*NOTE that starting July 15th, 2024, you will no longer need a State ID to register online because of new legislation!
4. You can vote in person, via USPS, or via voter drop-boxes!
We in Washington are lucky enough to have safe, secure, and convenient locations because we can mail in our ballots! However, we know that some of our unhoused neighbors would prefer to vote in person. Once you vote, you can choose to submit your ballot in different ways!
But wait! Have you lost your ballot? Need a replacement? Not a problem! You can reprint your ballot online at the King County Elections website, or request King County Elections mail you a new ballot by calling 206-296-8683.
To cast your ballot:
- You may drop your ballot at one of the 70+ drop boxes in King County up until Election Day at 8pm. Visit this King County Elections webpage for a list of drop box locations.
- You may drop your ballot in any USPS mailbox or post office, as long as it is postmarked prior to Election Day at 5pm. Visit USPS.com for a current list of locations.
- Note that you do not need a stamp to mail in your ballot!
- You may vote in-person at one of six Vote Centers in King County – see locations and hours at this King County Elections webpage. You can vote in person until Election Day at 8pm.
Looking for more resources regarding messaging and resources for new voters? Check out our Voter Registration webpage!