Election season is in full swing in the U.S. Many are aware that this is a Presidential Election year, taking place on Tuesday, November 3rd. But what other elections are happening, who is running, where do I vote, and how much do elections even matter? As part of my internship with HOME Line this summer, I worked on trying to answer some of these questions.
HOME Line is a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan tenant advocacy organization. As such, while HOME Line will take stances on tenant issues, HOME Line does not support or oppose candidates — incumbents or challengers — running for office.
U.S. Elections are held for each of the various levels of government. There are local, state, and federal levels – some with overlapping authority in many areas of life.
There are a variety of issues important to renters: from background checks to lease agreements, repairs to utilities, and privacy to accessibility, all are regulated by elected officials, some at two or more levels of government. If candidates aren’t talking about issues important to renters, elections are one way to make them more important! During campaign season, candidates running for office — both incumbents and challengers — are more open to hearing from people whose votes they are looking for to win. Candidates from all political parties are hearing from property owners, landlords, and developers. They will not hear about the issues you, as a renter, care about, like these, unless you and other renters get involved!
In my research, I learned that the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office is responsible for running statewide elections in Minnesota. The Secretary of State’s website is a great place to start exploring elections and candidates. From the site, I learned who some of my current representatives are and if anyone is running against them. There is information about who can vote in Minnesota and how to register to vote. I also learned that I can still vote even if I’m going to be out of town on Election Day or I don’t want to go to my polling place because of the coronavirus. And, I was able to view a sample ballot, so I know exactly what to expect when I go to vote.
Once I learned who represents me, and who is running against them, I explored all the candidate’s websites. Each one included information about the candidate’s top issues. But not all of them included information about issues important to me, information I need when deciding who to vote for. There was, however, contact information for calling, writing, or emailing candidates with my questions. Most also listed their campaign’s social media accounts – a great option for tagging them and asking questions about my concerns — HOME Line advises asking your questions of all candidates running for the appropriate office. Often during election season, candidates attend events like town halls, and state and county fairs, where people can ask questions to the candidates directly. COVID-19 has disrupted many of those events. Following candidates on social media is one way I’ve been able to learn if they are going to host a “virtual event” that I could attend instead. Knowing how all the candidates will respond to issues that affect my life is important in deciding who I will vote for.
Sometimes it seems that elections are pointless, and nothing ever changes. But elections do have consequences! Elected officials make decisions that directly impact renters. They create laws and policies about how much of a damage deposit is returned, what landlords can consider when they run a background check, whether or not a landlord gets – or keeps – a rental license, or if a landlord has to install handrails in a bathroom, making it accessible for the renter. Voting matters!
If you have questions about voter engagement, take a look at our 2020 Voter Engagement Guide. You can also contact HOME Line’s Public Policy Director, Michael Dahl at michaeld@homelinemn.org.
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