Many factors may contribute to survivors of domestic abuse being barred from voting. A primary factor is the withholding of information about the election from the survivor. For example, the perpetrator may prevent access to voting resources or general information on the elections. Secondly, perpetrators may use threats of physical violence and fear to sway the survivor to vote for a certain candidate or party. Another key issue that can bar survivors from voting is the privacy concerns related to putting their personal details into the voter database.

Action is urgently needed by policy makers and political campaigns to remove these obstacles to voting for survivors. Both groups should make information on elections safely accessible to survivors. An ‘escape’ button, that allows the website to be quickly exited or redirected, can be added to voting or news websites to protect survivor browsing safety.

A major obstacle that survivors face when trying to vote is that personal information -- including a home address -- is posted on the internet when registering to vote. This means that survivors who have escaped from abusive relationships must worry about their abuser finding them again.

Programs are needed that allow voters to keep their address and other personal information private. Although these programs exist in some states they are not always readily accessible, so survivors still are unable to vote without the threat of their abuser discovering their location. Election day registration can also help protect the privacy of survivors of abuse as it prevents their personal information, such as addresses, from being stored and accessible on the voter database prior to the elections. Another way to protect the privacy of survivors who are voting is by using a shelter address.