The 'Unhoused VOTE Act' Mandates Voter Registration at Shelters, Accepts Street Locations as Residence

The Unhoused Voter Opportunity Through Elections Act—or the Unhoused VOTE Act—is a bill aimed squarely at removing systemic barriers that keep citizens experiencing homelessness from voting in federal elections. At its core, the bill (SEC. 101) makes it illegal for any state or local government to deny a U.S. citizen the right to vote solely because they live in a “nontraditional abode,” which includes everything from emergency shelters to vehicles or even an unsheltered street location.

Where You Sleep Can’t Stop Your Vote

This legislation is a huge step toward clarifying residency rules that have historically made voting a bureaucratic nightmare for the unhoused population. For example, if you are staying at an emergency shelter, the state must allow you to use that shelter’s address as your official residence for voting purposes (SEC. 201). If you don't have a fixed address, the bill allows you to use a sworn, written statement declaring your residence, signed under penalty of perjury, instead of traditional documents. Even more specifically, the bill updates voter registration forms to allow applicants to draw a map of an intersection or use an unsheltered street location as their official residence (SEC. 202).

Shelters Become Voter Registration Hubs

One of the biggest practical changes comes from the requirement that emergency shelters receiving federal funding under the McKinney-Vento Act must now serve as official voter registration agencies (SEC. 202). This means that if you are checking into a shelter, they are legally required to offer you the chance to register to vote right there. To support this effort, the chief state election official must mail notices about voter registration deadlines and election dates to every homeless shelter and social service agency in the area at least 60 and 30 days out, respectively (SEC. 201).

Money for Outreach and Accessible Voting

To help states and localities actually implement these changes, the bill establishes a new grant program run by the Election Assistance Commission (SEC. 301). This money is specifically for getting unhoused individuals registered and to the polls. States can use the funds for things like running mobile voting centers or ensuring that ballot drop boxes are located and accessible where unhoused individuals can actually use them (SEC. 201). Importantly, if a state uses grant money to create documents for unhoused voters, those materials must be made durable enough to withstand being outdoors, acknowledging the realities of life without permanent shelter (SEC. 302).

The Real-World Impact

This bill effectively shifts the burden of voting from the individual experiencing homelessness to the government and the agencies already serving them. If you’re a caseworker at a shelter, this means adding voter registration to your intake process. If you’re a local election official, it means coordinating with social service providers and ensuring your outreach materials are accessible and durable. For the citizen who has struggled to vote because they lack a lease or utility bill, this bill makes the simple act of casting a ballot significantly more straightforward, using the places they currently reside—whether a shelter or a street corner—as legitimate proof of residency.