19: Get Out The Vote!

Today we’re talking about a very important civic duty – voting! We here at the YWCA are passionate about voting and getting people registered to vote. This year we have partnered with the League of Women Voters to help register voters at our outreach events and with our clients. Claire, Laine and Jessica are joined by Jayne, YWCA’s Fund Development Manager, to discuss the ins and outs of voting and why it matters (because it does!).

**No stamp necessary** – This year no stamps are needed to mail in your ballot. [A temporary measure was put in place by Governor Inslee to cover the cost of postage](https://www.heraldnet.com/news/postage-paid-election-ballots-wont-need-stamps-this-year/), with hopes of making the change permanent come 2019\. We’re hoping that legislators can make this a permanent standard, as it increased the likelihood of people voting, especially those who do not have easy access to a [voter drop box]((https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=13M_ZTb_zVszBZRjsNm5UvOfhmBU&ll=47.357012530915945%2C-122.58070734863287&z=10)).

**Confidentiality matters when voting** – Thanks to the Address Confidentiality Program, qualified applicants can protect their address when registering to vote. This program is made for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or trafficking to help them maintain confidentiality and safety when voting. To learn more about this program, visit https://www.sos.wa.gov/acp/.

**Accessibility matters** – Registering to vote requires a mailing address, so what happens when you are experiencing homelessness? You can still vote! Homeless voters can list a park or shelter as their residence address and can list their mailing address as anywhere they can pick up mail from, be it a relative’s house or a shelter address.

**Links:**

[Register to vote in Washington State](https://wei.sos.wa.gov/agency/osos/en/voters/Pages/register_to_vote.aspx)

[Find your voter district](http://www.vote411.org/enter-your-address#.W2I279VKhhE)

**General voting information:**

[Vote 411](www.vote411.org)

[Pierce County Elections](http://piercecountywa.org/328/Elections)