Illinois Makes Voting Easier For Homeless People

CHICAGO - A new Illinois law allows homeless people to register to vote by presenting two forms of identification and a mailing address.

The law, which went into effect yesterday, was applauded by homeless advocates, who said it's the first of its kind in the nation.

"It is significant, because voting is a way of restoring the citizenship of homeless people," said Fred Karnas, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington, D.C.

"The people who are homeless consider it a great victory," said John Donahue, executive director of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

In several other states, court orders or written policies guarantee the right to vote for homeless people.

Under the Illinois law, two forms of ID and a mailing address, such as a homeless shelter, are all a homeless person needs to register. The voter must return a prepaid postcard affidavit to verify registration 45 days before each election.

"If you are homeless you should still have the right to see who will lead this country," said Billy Miles, 29, a homeless man who works as security guard at a shelter, the Pacific Garden Mission.

Local advocates estimate that there are 40,000 homeless people in Chicago and 100,000 across the state.

Since 1986, a consent decree has allowed the homeless of Chicago to vote, but Chicago Board of Elections attorney Mickey Levinson says only 350 have registered.

Nationwide, about 2 million homeless people are eligible to vote but aren't registered, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless.