Get Ready for Election Day 2024
The General Election is November 5! We want to ensure your Election Day runs as smoothly as possible. We have some resources to consider when planning your Election Day.
First, make sure you are registered to vote. You can register to vote here. You can also check your registration or apply for an absentee ballot. You can also visit the Illinois Board of Elections for more information. If you have any special circumstances to consider when voting such as voting with a disability or voting while experiencing homelessness you can read our rights to accommodations blog.
For our Trans and non-binary voters, Advocates for Trans Equality has a Voting Guide to help you prepare for Election Day. The ACLU Illinois also has a know-your-rights guide to help all voters in Illinois navigate the polls on election day and provide information on how to report any issues while voting.
There are several topics to consider when casting your ballot. To help prepare you for Election Day, we’ve assembled several blogs discussing important topics surrounding the Election, including a blog discussing what Project 2025 is and how Project 2025 could affect your healthcare. There are also blogs on the state of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in 2024, access to housing, the dire need to increase funding for community health centers like Howard Brown, and the importance of school board elections.
Key Issues This Election
Tell Legislators to Support Reproductive Treatments for LGBTQ+ Families: On your ballot this November there will be a non-binding advisory question regarding insurance coverage for medically assisted reproductive treatments. While this question is not binding, it will serve as a way for Illinois legislators to better understand your needs and concerns around family planning. This is especially important for LGBTQ+ families as the cost associated with having a family can often be much higher for queer couples. It is critical for Illinois voters to understand what the assisted reproductive question is and how it connects to the expansion of family planning services for LGBTQ+ couples.
Decoding Project 2025: Fight Back Against this Anti-LGBTQ+ Agenda: Project 2025’s goal is for extreme conservative ideals to be enacted across multiple Federal agencies, to inform state legislation, and to train appointees in its conservative tenets through an online “education academy.” Project 2025 is comprised of numerous harmful policy proposals that would harm access to healthcare, economic security, and social services support, especially for already vulnerable and marginalized communities. Project 2025 specifically targets LGBTQ+ people and lays out a clear plan to erode or eliminate non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people.
Decoding Project 2025: A Danger to Healthcare Access: Project 2025 is a comprehensive plan to enact extreme conservative policies that would reduce access to healthcare, economic security, and social services support. Project 2025’s goal is for conservative ideals to be enacted across every level of federal and state government. One of the primary goals of Project 2025 is to reduce access to necessary healthcare services specifically for LGBTQ+ people and other marginalized communities.
Safe Spaces: Combating Housing Disparities for LGBTQ+ Individuals: Homelessness and unstable housing in Chicago is one of the largest issues among LGBTQ+ and people living with HIV (PLWH). Social and economic barriers, including anti-LGBTQ+ housing discrimination, have long been a barrier to the safety and welfare of queer and trans people. There is a need for increased funding for affordable housing and cultural competency training for shelters, landlords, and housing providers to help eliminate the housing crisis among LGBTQ+ people.
Funding The Future of Healthcare: Community Health Centers (CHCs) are vital providers of healthcare in the United States, providing care to around 31 million people annually. CHCs provide affordable, high-quality, comprehensive primary care to medically underserved populations regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Most CHC patients are people of color, and the vast majority are low-income. Learn more about CHC funding issues and how you can help support the critical work of CHCs
Beyond The Ballot: Vote For Chicago’s First Elected School Board: This November, Chicago will hold elections for the Chicago Board of Education (CBE) for the first time. Based on a law passed in 2021, the Chicago Board of Education will transition from a seven-member board appointed by the mayor to a 21-member elected board. This will eventually make the CBE the largest school board in any major city. The CBE oversees Chicago Public Schools (CPS), a large public school system that educates an average of 325,000 students annually. Learn more about this important and historical decision for voters this November.
Beyond the Ballot: Fueling Acceptance for LGBTQ+ Students in Our Schools: School boards are responsible for a wide range of academic, legal, and financial issues impacting our students’ quality of education. For example, boards often approve curricula, evaluate student achievement, and oversee the hiring of superintendents; all of the day-to-day things that impact our children’s lives. As such, their decisions have far-reaching consequences for students, families, and communities. Understand how school boards function and be as informed as possible on who should be on your community’s school boards when it comes time to vote.
Important Things to Keep in Mind
Get Ready to Vote: Rights to Accommodations: To help ensure that everyone is able to access voting in this upcoming election, below are some special circumstances and ways to prepare yourself or someone you know to vote in November.
Understand the State and Local Positions on your Ballot: With the variety of local, county, and state positions on our Midterm ballots, it is essential to understand and be informed about how these elected officials may impact your life!
Judges are on the Ballot: When it comes to advancing equitable and affordable healthcare for all, the idea of judges and court systems does not always immediately come to mind. However, the judicial system can have a profound impact on civil rights and access to healthcare, especially for marginalized populations like the LGBTQ+ community. Especially with the current surge of anti-LGBTQ+ political attacks, it is more important than ever to make your voice heard
To learn more about how Howard Brown Health contributes to vital advocacy work and has an impact on local, state, and federal policymaking, please visit our Advocacy webpage.