Project H.O.M.E. and its supporters are doing something very interesting today: They are launching a voter-registration drive among the city's homeless.
As Dan has been very good about reminding us: YOU MUST BE REGISTERED TO VOTE BY APRIL 16.
And by "you," apparently, I mean a quite a lot of people, Project H.O.M.E. says. They are going to actively try to sign up people in the city's shelter system and who have been in prison, if they are eligible.
I honestly didn't know that convicted felons can now vote once they've completed their sentence -- and without a five-year waiting period. But that is Project H.O.M.E.'s goal here -- to get the word out about who can be registered.
For example:
People who do not have a permanent address can use the address of a shelter/facility, as long as they have an established relationship with that facility and it will accept non-forwardable mail.
And this:
Convicted felons released from prison, people awaiting trial or serving time for a misdemeanor, and those on probation, parole, and house arrest can now vote. All people convicted of felonies have the right to vote as long as they are released from prison and are not in a halfway house or correctional facility on pre-release status. Also, the five-year waiting period for felons has been eliminated -- the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court restored the right to vote for ex-felons as of December 2000.
Now, I imagine there are plenty of people who would rather these folks not get the right to vote. All I am saying is, in a race this close -- registrations matter. And with the number of people in this city who have had felony convictions, knowing who can be registered matters, too.
Comments (1)
there is racism in the knox camp.
Posted by let's blog about this. | March 12, 2007 7:28 AM