Updates on Voting for August 1

Thanks to Continue Life, Salvation Army PASS, Zelma George, Joseph’s Home, Hitchcock Center, St. Malachi Center, Salvation Army Railton, and Y-Haven for participating in the voter registration drive last week.  We appreciate all their help in getting homeless people to participate in democracy.

We will be picking up from Cosgrove, Lakeside and Central Intake, Harbor Light, Norma Herr, Transitional Housing, and Railton House this Friday 8/3.  If you have completed forms that you would also like us to pick up at a local homeless service provider please give us a call at NEOCH at 216/432-0540 to schedule a pick up.  You are free to mail the forms directly to the board, but remember that they have to be sent within 7 or 8 days of signing the form.  You can’t really save them all up until you have a large number.

We would also like to recognize all the permanent supportive housing projects in the community managed by EDEN and MHS, which are encouraging all their residents to register to vote. They are providing a blank form to everyone living in their seven buildings.   This is a big step in helping people who have been long detached from society.  We appreciate all the help.

NEOCH has joined the OhioVotes Coalition that is overseen by the State Coalition (COHHIO).  They are doing a webinar on Thursday that you are welcome to participate in.  Contact Ohio Votes at 614-280-1984 for more information.  They will send you an e-mail for how to join the webinar. 

If you have any questions or want additional blank forms, give us a call. Remember, there is a ton of information on our website about voting as well (/homeless-voting/).  

Finally, on Monday the lawyers for the Coalition along with our co-plaintiffs were in federal court in Columbus working to protect the rights of homeless people especially with identification to vote.  We will keep the community informed about the progress of this lawsuit.  We are trying to defend our settlement from 2010 with the State of Ohio.  We are working to assure that if a person shows up to vote and is told to go to the wrong precinct by a poll worker their vote should still count.

Brian Davis

216/432-0540 ext 100