Victims, survivors of domestic violence have safe voting options

Every election cycle, Americans are encouraged to exercise their right to vote, but, for some, it isn’t that simple.

Just like in other aspects of their lives, victims of domestic abuse can find themselves in situations that make it difficult, if not dangerous, to exercise their rights.

“We have had clients — and I’m sure we’ll continue to have clients — whose partners don’t agree with their political views and believe that the victim or the survivor shouldn’t be allowed to vote,” said Nicole Molinaro, president and CEO of the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. “They don’t let the victim vote. We have had folks come in and say that that’s one part of the control their abuser puts on their life.”

Molinaro has been president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Women’s Shelter center since 2018. Because the shelter receives government funding, she said, it is obligated to provide clients with methods to safely vote.

“This isn’t happening only around the election,” Molinaro said. “If it wasn’t voting, it would be something else.”

After a victim is able to receive help and leave an abusive situation, they might be hesitant to register to vote because their address will be made available through public inquiry, putting the survivor’s safety at risk, said Molinaro and Lauren Duff, director of communications for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Even after someone has escaped their abuser, they still might be hesitant to exercise their right to vote because of the risks registering could introduce.

“When someone experiences domestic violence, their autonomy and power is taken away,” Duff said.

Pennsylvania has various state programs in place for abuse survivors and victims to vote safely.

“They can vote by mail, vote early, and confidential registration is also available for victims,” Molinaro said. “They have to plan ahead.”

According to the Pennsylvania Coalition’s voter guide for victims and survivors, if the survivor is in Pennsylvania’s Address Confidentiality Program, they can update their voter registration to replace their confidential physical address with the substitute mailing address provided by the program. This ensures the public voter roll lists the confidentiality program address in order to protect the survivor’s real address.

Jessica Goughnour, office manager of the Westmoreland County Election Bureau, said there are four voters in Westmoreland County who are a part of the ACP program.

“They come to us from the state,” Goughnour said. “The state directs them to us. To apply to vote, they come to us in person and we meet with them and put them in our system under codes.”

Program members are directed through the state to be given their ACP numbers. Goughnour said she has registered two ACP program members to vote since she began her position in 2021.

If a survivor is not a program participant, they can apply to use an alternate mailing address, such as their work address, to register to vote. Anyone who can demonstrate that their personal safety would be endangered by revealing their home address can submit a request to their local elections office to have that address kept confidential at any time.

Such situations include individuals who have received a protection from abuse order on their behalf or a protection order due to stalking, as well as anyone who is a victim of stalking when the defendant has been convicted of that crime under Pennsylvania law.

County election offices may have an approved form the survivor needs to submit to request confidentiality of their home address. If the office doesn’t have the form, a request can be made in writing and should include an explanation as to why the voter is requesting that their home address be confidential.

Survivors living in domestic violence shelters or hotels can use these methods or list their address as the program’s administrative office address.

“These voters can vote safely through the Pennsylvania Office of Victim Advocate,” Allegheny County Elections Division Manager Dave Voye said in a statement. “Their ballots are distributed to a P.O. Box under a confidential name, then forwarded to the voter.”

Despite awareness from national and international organizations, such as the United Nations, election violence is an underresearched facet of domestic violence, an altogether underresearched topic.

“There’s very challenged research on all issues of victims of domestic violence because of their need for protection,” said Michelle Gibb, executive director of the Alle-Kiski Area HOPE Center. “Actual research-based data is tough to get from all facets of domestic violence.”

Gibb said most accounts of domestic violence are anecdotal reports. She said accounts of election violence are no exception.

“People report experiencing isolation from political information and voting materials,” Gibb said. “If their views differ from their abusers, they aren’t able to sign up for newsletters or freely research. There’s reports of abusers forcing victims to use mail-in ballots so the abuser can see or control how the victim’s vote is cast.”

The most powerful way to assist survivors is to present them with the resources they need to feel empowered after experiencing abuse.

“It’s empowering victims to do something for themselves,” Duff said.

Because election violence, including domestic abuse, is a worldwide issue, the United Nations put out multiple reports on its effects on voting and holding office, especially among women.

The 2018 UN Women and UNDP Preventing Violence Against Women in Elections Programming Guide states more than 10,000 women held national elected offices; millions of female politicians serve at subnational levels; and increasing numbers of women vote, run for office and actively participate in electoral management around the world.

Another U.N. study, which looked at more than 2,000 acts of election violence in six countries between 2006 and 2010, estimated that women were victims in almost 40% of all acts of election violence.

A 2016 study on the related topic of violence against female office-holders found psychological violence, the most widespread form, was affecting almost 82% of the survey respondents from all countries and regions. Of the psychological violence reported, more than 44% of those surveyed said they had received threats of death, rape, beatings or abduction during their terms in office.

“If someone feels strongly about their opinion or voice, their abuser may target it,” Gibb said. “Any form of free thought may be a threat to that control.”