Ahead of the election, city leaders work to ensure homeless residents vote

As the presidential election approaches, city leaders in Philadelphia are stepping up efforts to ensure that people who are experiencing homelessness can cast their vote.

Currently, James Simmons doesn’t have a permanent home, but he made sure to enter his shelter address when updating his voter registration.

“It feels good knowing that I have a say so in who can govern our society,” Simmons told NBC10.

He and Nasar Williams are two of the 100 men at Station House Transitional Shelter in North Philadelphia who are registered and ready to vote in this upcoming election. But they say getting their peers to do the same is a challenge.

“It’s probably a few people that don’t know. But I let them know though. Put the vote in on November 5th,” said Williams.

On Thursday, Philadelphia City Commissioner Chairman Omar Sabir stopped by the facility. His office is focused on raising awareness about the mail-in voting process, especially for people who have transitioned into shelters.

“We need to hear every eligible Philadelphian. We don’t want any barriers for you to cast your ballot,” Sabir said.

The commissioner’s office says more than 201,000 mail-in ballots were requested this year. More than 127,000 were filled out and sent back. Right now, 3,400 of those need to be corrected.

All are encouraged to request their mail-in ballot before the Oct. 29 deadline. Then, fill it out and drop it off in person to ensure their voice is heard.

Another challenge city leaders come across in these homeless communities is correcting misinformation that people with a criminal record cannot vote.

Sabir said once you have served your time, you can vote unless convicted of election fraud.