Homeless voting: Overcoming barriers to ballots in Denver, Colorado

Photo byNational Alliance to End Homelessness

Even when somebody is homeless, they still can vote.

Issues affecting people experiencing homelessness appear on ballots all the time. From rules regulating evictions, to urban camping bans, to measures that raise millions for affordable housing, the outcomes of these elections impact unhoused residents.

In Denver, Mayor Mike Johnston campaigned on ending homelessness in his first term. He has already sheltered almost 2,000 people experiencing homelessness, according to the city's All-In Mile High dashboard. It is unknown, however, how many people experiencing homelessness voted for him.

Ballot box issues impact people experiencing homelessness

In November, voters will be asked whether to approve an 0.5% sales tax increase to pay for affordable housing for the next several years. The mayor claims the tax would solve the city’s affordable housing crisis, generating $100 million annually.

“We’ve seen elected officials talk about housing and homelessness on the campaign trail and adopt some of the strongest housing platforms in history,” said Ann Oliva of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “We’ve seen voters eager to enact bold solutions at the ballot box through bond measures, tenant protection initiatives and other innovative polities,” added Donald Whitehead, also of the Alliance.

Alliance urges homeless voting drives

The Alliance officials made their remarks recently in a video they posted urging homeless services organizations to organize voting drives for their clients. The Alliance offered several resources for getting started, including:

“Every One Votes” campaign by the Alliance.

"Our Homes Our Votes" by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

“You don’t need a home to vote” campaign by the National Coalition for the Homeless.

All of the sites offer tips on getting people experiencing homelessness registered and to the polling place on Election Day. In many states, like Colorado, mail-in ballots can be used.

How can you vote without an address?

Some may wonder how a homeless person can vote without an address. There are ways around not having an address. Some states like Colorado allow people experiencing homelessness to check a box on their voter registration application designating themselves as homeless. They then give an address where mail can be picked up, such as St. Francis Day Shelter or Haven of Hope, both in Denver.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness toolkit explains the residency requirement. “The purpose of providing a place of residence is to ensure the person is registering to vote in the proper district and to assign the voter a polling place,” according to the toolkit. “A traditional dwelling or physical residence is not required, and one may list the place one considers their residence, or where they sleep at night, which can include a shelter, bench in the park, or even under a freeway.”

What Colorado law says

Colorado Secretary of State Jenna Griswold offers the following information about homeless voting on her website:

· “Voters currently without a fixed permanent home are eligible to register and vote in the upcoming election. Voters in this situation should be sure to update their address with their local county clerk as soon as possible.

· “Voters without a fixed permanent home should be registered at the place they consider their home base. Home base means a location the voter regularly returns to and intends to remain. This can include a park, vacant lot, or homeless shelter.

· “It’s important that a voter who is registered at a location that does not receive mail also designates a mailing address where they can pick up their ballot. This mailing address can be anywhere that the voter has the ability to access their mail on a regular basis and can include a post office box. Voters in this situation who miss or are not able to access their mail ballot may always visit a polling center located in their county to vote.”

What if their identification is missing?

Many people cannot vote because they do not have identification. Colorado allows a person experiencing homelessness to bring a letter from the Social Security office as proof of identification for voting. While this may require a trip to the Social Security office, it is much easier and faster than going through the process of applying for a new identification card.

The fact is it can be a little difficult for people experirencing homelessness to go through the voter registration process. The steps can be overwhelming when you're running from meal site to meal site, day shelter to night shelter. Many people experirnecing homelessness do not bother to vote because it seems like too much of a hassle. Help from a case worker can make all of the difference, according to the Alliance.