By Laura Ellsworth, Council for the Homeless
As Election Day, November 3, 2020 fast approaches, it is important to know that both housed and unhoused Clark County residents can vote.
People can register to vote and vote in person now through Election Day – November 3, 2020, at the Clark County Elections office located at 1408 Franklin Street, Vancouver. The office is open 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday, and 7:00am to 8:00pm on Election Day.
People experiencing homelessness can vote, too. Even in a vote-by-mail state. Even without a permanent address. “People just need a landmark near where they stay”, according to Kate Budd of the Council for the Homeless. “An address of a shelter, a library they go to, or even an address that is an intersection near where someone spends a lot of time,” Budd said. “For example, someone could use 6th and Daniels as their intersection if this is near where they stay at night.”
When registering to vote in person, a home address, or state ID is not needed. The County Elections Office will ask for the last four digits of a Social Security number to run against the federal database. If the last four digits of a social security number can’t be provided, the voter can provide their date of birth and attest to being a U.S. citizen, a Washington resident, and an eligible voter, under penalty of perjury.
According to the Clark County elections website, to register to vote in Washington, someone must be:
- A citizen of the United States
- A legal resident of Washington state
- At least 18 years old by Election Day
- Not disqualified from voting due to a court order
- Not under Department of Corrections supervision for a Washington felony conviction
- People with past felony convictions, but who are not currently under supervision may vote
View the full 2020 Voter’s Guide in English here. For other languages, video, or audio versions click here. It is important that everyone who is eligible to vote know they have a say about the policies and people who can impact their daily lives. Please vote by Tuesday, November 3rd!
Once your vote is cast, check to see if it’s been counted by visiting www.votewa.gov.
Every vote matters!