Blog: In Seattle, Tenant Rights Start With Access to the Ballot

Voting is an essential part of our American heritage. That’s why, during a wave of new voter suppression efforts happening nationwide, it’s especially refreshing to see local leaders thinking outside the box to protect their constituents’ right to vote.

After Seattle Councilmember Kshama Sawant noticed that renters — especially those who move around frequently — are much less likely to vote, she drafted a city ordinance that would require landlords to give voter registration information to new tenants.

As one of the nation’s fastest-growing large cities, Seattle’s skyrocketing rent prices and increasingly hefty move-in fees are major issues for tenants, who make up over half the city.

While a high cost of living may seem like an obscure, uncontrollable phenomenon, the reality is: tenant concerns like this can be addressed at the ballot box. In order to ensure elected officials will stand up for their rights, renters should be empowered and motivated to participate in local elections. Councilmember Sawant hopes the ordinance, officially passed on Monday, will serve as a direct invitation to the polls.

Working class people, young people, and people of color — communities that are much more likely to rent than own a home — deserve to have their voices heard. Now more than ever, this country needs strong leaders who will champion voting rights for all people through creative solutions like this one.