New Report: Homeless Persons’ Political Rights

Posted by on July 16, 2004

[posted from Demos: Democracy Dispatch]

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2004 – This Independence Day will find many more homeless and impoverished citizens with greater obstacles to overcome to exercise their right to participate in the political process, according to a report released today by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP). The difficulties are the result of changes in election laws following the missteps in the 2000 Presidential election.

The report, “Voter Registration and Voting: Ensuring the Legal Rights of Homeless People,” further cited changes to both the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (the “Motor-Voter Act”) and the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (“HAVA”) and their impact on homeless people in key states.

In any given year some 3.5 million men, women, and children are homeless in America. Approximately 60 percent, or 2.1 million people, experiencing homelessness are of voting age.

“What we’ve found is that changes in election laws have actually made it more difficult for many Americans to exercise their fundamental right to vote,” said NLCHP Executive Director Maria Foscarinis. “Homeless and impoverished Americans face hurdles to registration and voting that other citizens do not. It’s critical that homeless citizens not be overlooked as we approach the fall, and that their voices – and – votes are heard in this year’s election.”

To read the full press release, visit: http://www.nlchp.org/Press/detail.cfm?PRID=33

To read the report, visit: http://www.nlchp.org/Pubs/index.cfm?startRow=16&FA=4&TAB=0