Get Out the Vote rally held for women living at YWCA Dayton

YWCA recently hosted a Get Out the Vote rally for the women currently residing in their shelters and apartments. For women living in shelters who have faced abuse, registering to vote can be a daunting process, as many do not have permanent addresses and may have abusers try to find their information online if they register. One of the purposes of the rally was to inform women of the Safe at Home program. The Safe at Home program is a confidential voter registration program designed to assist victims of abuse with safely registering to vote by receiving a substitute address on their voter registration forms and on official records. At this rally, women living in YWCA’s shelters and apartments received crucial information on the Safe at Home program, including flyers created by YWCA staff explaining the process of registering with the Safe at Home program to ensure that women living in shelters would have their voices heard come election day. Barbara Ward, advocacy manager at YWCA Dayton, said it is part of the organization’s mission to make sure residents and clients living in shelter have all the information and resources they need to vote.“Why wouldn't we have a voter rally for women in shelter, especially if there is a way for women to use their voice and advocate for values that are important to them through voting?” Ward said. All eligible voters have a right to have their voices heard, and survivors of abuse are no exception. Through programs like Safe at Home and YWCA support, more survivors can have their voices heard at the ballot box every election year.