Representatives Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), and Nikema Williams (GA-05) introduced the Our Homes, Our Votes Act, a bill that would allow eligible and interested tenants of federally subsidized housing to register to vote as they sign their lease and have their income verified. The Our Homes, Our Votes Act builds on the groundbreaking National Voter Registration Act of 1993, also known as the “Motor Voter Law,” which allows eligible voters to register at the DMV when obtaining or renewing a driver’s license. Just as the “Motor Voter Law” expanded access to voter registration, this act aims to extend the same opportunity to tenants in federally subsidized housing programs. Barriers such as the lack of a permanent address can make the voter registration process more challenging for renters in comparison to homeowners. Data from the 2022 midterms shows that only 35 percent of eligible renters voted, in contrast to 58 percent of eligible homeowners. Specifically, the bill would increase voter registration by: 

• Expanding registration access by allowing eligible and interested tenants in subsidized housing administered by a public housing agency (PHA) to register to vote as they sign their lease without requiring duplicate information.

• Ensuring timely transmission of registration forms by requiring PHA’s and private landlords to quickly submit completed registration forms to local election authorities. 

• Designating private landlords of subsidized housing as “voter registration agents” responsible for distributing forms and providing assistance as needed. 

• Promoting language accessibility by encouraging language services for non-English speaking tenants, ensuring that every eligible resident can register and vote.

The bill is endorsed by: The National Low Income Housing Coalition, Housing Action Illinois, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Chicago Rehab Network, The Resurrection Project, Jonathan Rose Companies, LLC, The National Housing Law Project, Sponsors Inc.