September, 19 2008, 12:33pm EDT
Homeless and Low Income People Take Their First Step Towards the Polls by Registering to Vote September 21-27, 2008
Nationwide
Nonpartisan voter registration events will take place across the country during the week of September 21-27 to mark National Homeless and Low Income Voter Registration Week.
The National Homeless and Low Income Voter Registration Week arises each election cycle, asking local housing and homeless providers/advocates to conduct voter registration, education and get-out-the-vote efforts.
Events are co-sponsored by the National Coalition for the Homeless, National Alliance to End Homelessness, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Over 40 nonprofits and service agencies nationwide will dedicate the week towards registering homeless and low-income individuals to vote, because it is our belief that equal access to the vote is crucial for the maintenance of true democracy.
On Monday at Broad Street and Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, PA, for example, homeless individuals and advocates will march to encourage homeless and low-income people to register. A rally will follow later in the day, as well as appearances by public speakers, such as Mayor Michael Nutter. Ending the week on Friday September 26th, homeless and low income people will be invited to watch the first presidential debate. It is with events such as these that we hope homeless and low income persons will be able to make their voices heard on Election Day.
"It is vital that homeless and low-income individuals have the ability to exercise their constitutional rights, the right to vote being chief among them. The vulnerable in our society are often the ones to bear the outcome of elections most heavily, which makes it all the more crucial for their voices to be heard," said Michael Stoops, Acting Executive Director, National Coalition for the Homeless.
Please see the following page for a list of cities to hold events.
Event Locations for National Homeless and Low Income Voter Registration Week:
September 21-27, 2008
Appleton, WI
Atlanta, GA
Bergen County, NJ
Boston, MA
Columbus, OH
Davie, FL
Eden Prairie, MN
Green Bay, WI
Hartford, CT
Humboldt Park, IL
Huntsville, AL
Jamaica, NY
King County, WA
Livermore, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Macon, GA
Minneapolis, MN
Myrtle Beach, SC
New Haven, CT
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Portsmouth, NH
Redmond, OR
Richmond, VA
Sacramento, CA
San Pablo, CA
Santa Monica, CA
Seattle, WA
St. Paul, MN
Topeka, KS
Washington, DC
West Palm Beach, FL
Yakima County, WA
National Coalition for the Homeless is a national network of people who are currently experiencing or who have experienced homelessness, activists and advocates, community-based and faith-based service providers, and others committed to a single mission: To end and prevent homelessness while ensuring the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness are met and their civil rights are respected and protected. We envision a world where everyone has a safe, decent, accessible and affordable home.
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