Supporting the Participation of AA and NHPI Survivors of Gender-Based Violence to Vote

Every election, voters are provided with an opportunity to communicate what is most important to them and to elect leaders who they believe will best represent them and their values. As survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities have needs and concerns that are unique to their communities and experiences, it is crucial that they have every opportunity to exercise their right to vote. However, survivors of gender-based violence in AA and NHPI communities often face numerous barriers to meaningfully participating in elections, including safety and privacy concerns, laws that disenfranchise many voters, language barriers, and for survivors who are homeless or living in a shelter, lack of a home address. This advisory will explain the importance of voter participation among survivors in AA and NHPI communities and ways to support voter safety among survivors.