Polk County, Iowa – Vision Leads, a nonprofit organization, has been working diligently to ensure that homeless individuals in Polk County are registered to vote in the upcoming election. Despite common misconceptions, homeless people are eligible to vote in elections in Iowa. Vision Leads has been helping homeless individuals register by allowing them to list wherever they sleep or frequently return to as their current address.
Director of strategic community partnerships at Vision Leads, Shannon Brisbois, emphasizes the importance of every person participating in elections, regardless of their housing situation. The organization has already registered about a dozen homeless individuals and is offering rides to and from the Polk County Auditor’s Office for early voting and on Election Day.
In order to vote, Iowans need to bring an ID and proof of residence to the polling site. Homeless individuals who do not have these documents can bring an attester to confirm their identity. This attester must be a registered voter in the same precinct. Both parties must sign an oath confirming the statements being made are true.
Vision Leads will be hosting a Souls to the Polls event on Saturday to encourage voting participation. The event will kick off at Chelsie’s Courtyard Diner at 11 a.m. with a march to the Polk County Auditor’s Office for voting, followed by a return to Chelsie’s for college football and snacks.
Brisbois believes that increased participation in elections can lead to positive change and improvement in people’s lives. The organization’s efforts aim to ensure that every person’s voice is heard in the upcoming election.
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