Voting Support
Voting Support
Voting is one of the many ways we can work to end sexual violence, challenge oppression, and ensure that victims/survivors’ voices are heard.
Disenfranchisement—depriving people of voting privileges and inhibiting voter access—is used to exclude and silence underserved communities. Barriers to voting are often targeted at communities of color and people experiencing poverty. MNCASA is committed to anti-oppression work and we believe in increased voter access, removal of barriers, and naming systems of oppression that create barriers.
We also know that there are other barriers to voting including COVID-19 and intimate partner violence. This guide contains info on how to vote by mail and safety measures for those who will vote in person (we encourage all who are able to vote early). We hope the guide will equip you with the tools and knowledge you need to vote safely and make sure your ballot is counted!
Common Questions
Check your voter registration.
Visit the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website to register online, download paper registration forms, check your registration, or learn more about registering.
Find your polling place.
You have a right to take time off work to vote without losing your pay, personal leave, or vacation time. Your employer must pay you for the time needed to vote if it falls within your scheduled work time. Your employer cannot ask you to use personal leave or vacation time. However, they can ask that you tell them when you will be gone. They can also ask that employees coordinate their absences to minimize workplace disruptions.
Access to transportation has a significant impact on an individual’s opportunity to vote. According to Democracy Docket (2020), “66% of voters with access to a car voted in the 2018 general election, compared to only 36% who did not, a 30-percentage point gap”. For victims/survivors who may have limited resources, this barrier is further exacerbated. While voting by mail is a great option, here are resources for transportation access on election day if you need assistance:
- The rideshare app Lyft is offering discounted rides to the polls on election day
- By using the code “VOTE2024” Lime scooters and e-bikes will be available for free transportation
Safe at Home participants can register as absentee voters through Safe at Home. This is a special process developed for Safe at Home. This process is the only way for participants to vote in an election and keep their address confidential. There is no way for a participant to vote at a polling place without disclosing their true address.
See our Survivors Vote 2024: By The Issues Guide for more info.
2024 Survivors Vote: By the Issues Guide
This guide is focused on empowering survivors in the upcoming election with information about key issues in the upcoming election impacting survivors of violence