Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams is joining an effort aimed at encouraging homeless people to register to vote ahead of the election.
“We’re engaged in a lot of different processes,” Williams said in an interview. “We recognize that in a presidential election, there’s a heightened interest and so we’re making sure everyone who can vote registers ahead of time so they aren’t trying to walk in and register on the day of the election.”
On Tuesday, Williams and staff registered homeless people outside a public library on Colfax Avenue in Aurora. They are allowed to the use the addresses of homeless shelters or another “home base” for their registration.
By noon, officials had registered 13 people to vote.
Last week, the Secretary of State’s office also launched a new way for Colorado residents to register to vote, or update their information, through a text message.
The state will also plan events to participate in the national push to register residents to vote on Sept. 27 through the National Voter Registration Day.
Williams said people who have registered in the past should also make sure their addresses are current.
“600,000 people voted for president four years ago and then didn’t vote since then,” Williams said. “Chances are high that some of them have moved.”
People can register and update information through a text, sending a form in the mail, going to The Division of Motor Vehicles or to a number of other government offices.
“We are trying to make it as easy as possible for people who are eligible to vote,” Williams said.
Staff writer Megan Mitchell contributed to this report.
