Voter Empowerment at the Hope Center

On Tuesday, Central Kentucky members visited the Hope Center in Lexington to talk about voter empowerment. The Hope Center is a center for the homeless that provides shelter, food, clothing, social services, and a number of programs designed to deal with the underlying causes of homelessness.

Members visited the men's shelter at dinnertime and had some incredible conversations, registering 25 new voters. One man told us that he didn't feel comfortable voting, because he didn't feel informed. After hearing about the KFTC voter guide, he decided to register to vote and read up before the November election.

While at the Hope Center, we met many men who had lost their right to vote because of a felony in their past. Members educated them about the process to restore their voting rights and handed out forms and other information. We found a lot of support for House Bill 70, and had some great conversations about our efforts to restore voting rights. 

Voting in Kentucky as a homeless person can be difficult. The voter registration card asks for an address, which is not always available. Many shelters, like the Hope Center, allow their address to be used. Also, some county clerks will allow homeless individuals to use their offices' address in order to register. You can call your clerk to find out how they handle voters without addresses.

For more information about the Hope Center, you can visit their website at www.hopectr.org.