POWER Coalition launches voter guide for people in recovery

The POWER Coalition launched a new voter education campaign in Albany for people with mental health and addiction conditions, rolling out a first-of-its-kind voter guide tied to the March on Washington anniversary and National Recovery Month. The effort aims to help millions of Americans in recovery register and vote as debates over mail ballots, voting rights and recovery policy intensify.

Why it matters: - The POWER Coalition says the campaign is meant to make voting more accessible for people with mental health and addiction conditions and their families. - The launch comes as midterm elections approach and voting rules remain a live political issue. - The effort targets a large potential electorate: more than 60 million Americans identify as being in recovery from behavioral health conditions.

What happened: - The POWER Coalition launched “Nothing About Us Without Our Vote” on Aug. 28, 2026, in Albany, New York. - The campaign includes a Comprehensive Voter Guide for People with Lived Experience. - The guide covers voter registration, voting options, and requirements for people with criminal justice histories. - The campaign rollout coincides with the anniversary of the March on Washington, the start of National Recovery Month and a Supreme Court ruling on mail-in ballots.

The details: - The voter materials are designed to help people with lived experience participate in democracy and use their votes to protect their rights and support recovery. - POWER Coalition says the materials are the first ever specifically designed by and for people with lived experience of addictions and/or mental health conditions. - Laura Van Tosh, a POWER Coalition Steering Committee member who led the guide’s development, said the goal is to make the voting process more accessible, understandable and relevant to the community. - The coalition plans to distribute the materials through affiliated networks across the nation. - The campaign can be used alongside REV-UP, a national nonpartisan campaign by the American Association of People with Disabilities focused on registration, education and voting. - POWER Coalition says the campaign is aimed at mobilizing people in recovery and their families to register and vote.

Between the lines: - The launch is also a response to federal and state policy shifts the coalition views as harmful, including cuts to Medicaid, housing and nutrition support and proposed elimination of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. - The coalition says some governments are also expanding criminalization, long-term institutionalization and involuntary treatment. - POWER Coalition argues those policies are disproportionately affecting Black Americans, other people of color and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. - Paolo del Vecchio, a former federal official and POWER Coalition co-chair, said the campaign is intended to activate a largely untapped voting bloc that wants change around freedom, recovery, wellness and hope. - Arc Telos Saint Amour, POWER Coalition co-chair and executive director of YOUTH MOVE National, said the coalition supports the March on Washington 2026 theme, “Defend the Vote,” and its focus on voting rights, diversity, fair wages, housing and equal opportunity. - Van Tosh said casting a ballot is an affirmation of recovery and of people having a voice and choice in their lives.

What's next: - POWER Coalition is calling on individuals and organizations to share the materials widely ahead of the midterms and beyond. - The coalition hopes the campaign will help drive record turnout among people in recovery. - More information is available through the coalition's website. - The coalition also posted updates on LinkedIn.

The bottom line: - POWER Coalition is trying to turn voting into a recovery and rights issue for a group it says has been overlooked for too long.