As the November 3 midterm election approaches, shelters in Minneapolis and St. Paul are stepping up to ensure that unhoused residents can cast their ballots. Volunteers and staff from Catholic Charities Twin Cities and People Serving People are providing nonpartisan voting information, helping with registration, and pledging to accompany voters to the polls.
Volunteer outreach builds trust
Kourtney Thomas, a former unhoused resident who now serves on Catholic Charities Twin Cities’ Lived Experience Advisory Board, says many people experiencing homelessness assume they are ineligible to vote because they lack a government ID, a permanent address, or have a criminal record. “A lot of our people going through homelessness believe that the systems are against them. They truly believe that,” Thomas explained. “It’s important that we get people in our shelters to vote.”
Thomas draws on her own experience to connect with shelter residents, saying, “I have been through what you’ve been through. I can understand. Let me help you. Let’s try it this way.”
Practical guidance on voting without a permanent address
At Catholic Charities’ Endeavors Residence, staff handed out sample ballots and answered questions about the offices on the ballot and polling locations. Carole Specktor, community advocacy director, emphasized that the most important message is that each person’s vote matters. “The most important thing that we bring, aside from the information, is really letting people know that they matter, that their vote matters, and that their vote is their voice,” she said.
Specktor noted that Minnesota law allows voters to use the address where they sleep—whether a shelter, a friend’s home, or even a street corner—to register and vote. The state also passed a 2023 law restoring voting rights to individuals with criminal records who are not currently serving a felony sentence.
On‑site early voting and Election Day support
People Serving People, a nonprofit serving homeless families in Minneapolis, is also hosting an on‑site early voting event. Community organizing manager Linda Barrera highlighted the convenience of voting inside the shelter: “Folks don’t even have to leave the building, which I think is going to be really, really fantastic because it takes away the barrier of walking to the polling place.”
Both shelters will have staff ready on Election Day to accompany residents to their polling places and vouch for their residence, ensuring that a lack of a traditional address does not prevent anyone from casting a ballot.
How unhoused voters can register
Unhoused Minnesotans can register using the location where they sleep as their address. If registering before Election Day, the voter record will be marked “challenged,” but the voter can still cast a ballot after swearing under oath that the listed location is where they reside. On Election Day, a registered voter from the same precinct can accompany the unhoused voter to the polling place and sign an oath confirming the residence. Shelter staff can also accompany voters and confirm their address at the polls.
Upcoming early voting locations
The City of Minneapolis is hosting two early voting events:
- Saturday, Oct. 24 – Higher Ground Evergreen Residence, 177 Glenwood Ave, Minneapolis, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 25 – Possibility Place, 614 S 3rd St., Minneapolis, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
More information is available on the Minnesota Secretary of State website.
By bringing voting resources directly to those who need them most, Twin Cities shelters are reinforcing the constitutional principle that every citizen’s voice counts, regardless of housing status.
Original reporting: Sahan Journal — read the source article.
