Elections N.B. tries to help homeless people vote
CBC
Moncton resident Chance Burlock hasn't had a fixed address since around 2016. He spends most nights either in shelters or on the streets.
But that's not stopping him from being concerned about what's going on in the province.
"I think I'm going to vote. I don't really know exactly for who yet, but I'm looking into it. I'm studying it and researching and trying to figure out what's the best option," he said.
Burlock said among his top election issues are community services and serving the growing population.
"More things for children, more things for seniors, veterans, anything that really helps people grow. Because we are the fastest-growing city in Canada, so that's a big thing," Burlock said.
And while he hopes that everyone does their part for democracy by casting a ballot on Oct. 21, he thinks other homeless New Brunswickers feel overlooked by the government.
"There's been laws and bylaws, things that are pushing homeless people outside of the city, or they're not really helping too much," he said.
"I really believe that homeless people aren't really getting what they need and what they deserve, really."
In past years, people who who wanted to vote, but no permanent place to live, had to have someone vouch for them, said Kim Poffenroth, New Brunswick's chief electoral officer.
But a new initiative is trying to make it easier for people without a fixed address to vote.
"We were looking at different ways of addressing challenges that people have proving their civic address in a number of different situations," Poffenroth said.
Elections N.B. has distributed letters to local food banks, shelters and soup kitchens across the province. Any client of these organizations can use these letters as proof of address, in lieu of a utility bill or lease agreement.
Proof of address is needed for voters who aren't already on the voters' list. Voters also need to bring a piece of government-issued identification.
"It's something we're doing just to make it a little bit easier both for those individuals, because we want everyone who is a qualified voter in New Brunswick to be able to vote regardless of what their housing situation is," Poffenroth said.
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