Social service workers in Thunder Bay, Ont., aim to reduce voting barriers for unhoused people

Sarah Law · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 23, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Staff astatine an overnight structure successful Thunder Bay, Ont., are calling connected Elections Canada to marque it easier for radical experiencing homelessness to formed their ballots successful the federal election.

Shelter House is moving alongside NorWest Community Health Centres (NWCHC) successful the northwestern Ontario metropolis to assistance unhoused radical enactment successful Monday's vote. 

As was the lawsuit successful the Ontario election, societal work organizations tin motion recognition confirmation letters for radical who don't person a imperishable code oregon portion of identification. Clients tin instrumentality these letters to a polling presumption successful lieu of a elector accusation card.

However, portion lone 1 portion of ID was needed to ballot provincially, 2 pieces of documentation are needed to formed a ballot successful the national election.

Anyone without a imperishable code tin usage societal payment cheques, jailhouse merchandise papers or a statement connected a medicine instrumentality arsenic identification, for examples.

"These things dependable similar they're accommodating to an idiosyncratic that's ne'er experienced homelessness oregon lived done substance usage challenges, but truly those are conscionable adding insult to injury," said Champagne Thomson, improvement manager astatine Shelter House.

"Just due to the fact that someone's housed doesn't mean that they should get the luxury of getting to support each of that private. It's stigmatizing capable to amusement up with a missive that says that you enactment astatine Shelter House."

A afloat database of accepted ID tin beryllium recovered connected Elections Canada's website.

In a metropolis wherever astatine slightest 550 radical are known to beryllium experiencing homelessness, according to the latest point-in-time count, Thomson said she wants Elections Canada to judge 1 portion of ID from voters alternatively of two.

"It's precise challenging arsenic idiosyncratic connected our broadside trying to get radical arsenic excited, energized retired determination to vote," she said. "The reception is precise antithetic due to the fact that radical are automatically conscionable being slapped successful the look with barriers arsenic opposed to opportunity."

More than three-quarters of radical known to beryllium stateless successful Thunder Bay are Indigenous, and Thomson said that besides adds to the complexities of voting access.

"Now [in] the national election, which is going to beryllium the 1 that impacts Indigenous affairs the most, Indigenous radical are yet again being disproportionately disenfranchised by the deficiency of access, the deficiency of accessibility," Thomson said. 

"We besides look astatine disproportionate rates of incarceration. We look astatine each of these antithetic systemic factors and recognize that with this speedy turnaround time, we're not capable to get up of it."

Elections Canada responds

CBC News received an emailed effect from Richard Théoret, determination media advisor for Elections Canada, connected Tuesday regarding voting barriers relating to unhoused people.

Théoret explained the process of receiving a missive of confirmation of residence from determination that "offers food, lodging oregon different societal services," specified arsenic Shelter House. He said radical tin besides usage their commencement certificate oregon wellness paper arsenic identification. 

"You tin besides state your individuality and code successful penning and person idiosyncratic who knows you and who is assigned to your polling presumption vouch for you. The idiosyncratic vouching for you indispensable beryllium capable to beryllium their individuality and address. A idiosyncratic tin vouch for lone 1 person, but successful semipermanent attraction facilities."

Théoret acknowledged the challenges radical experiencing homelessness look successful voting.

"Elections Canada has assemblage relations officers for stateless electors. The officers absorption connected providing accusation to these electors," helium said. "They tin besides assistance and present presentations to the administrators and occupants of halfway houses, shelters and organizations that supply services to stateless electors. By doing so, they rise consciousness astir where, erstwhile and the ways to registry and vote.

"Elections Canada understands that reaching stateless electors is much challenging. Along with assemblage relations officers, we enactment with stakeholders from our Inspire Democracy web to dispersed accusation astir the electoral process, peculiarly astir however stateless electors tin beryllium their individuality and address."

More accusation tin beryllium recovered connected Elections Canada's website oregon by calling 1-800-463-6868 toll free, helium added.

Civic Engagement Day lets radical practise voting

More than 10 per cent of Shelter House clients voted successful Ontario's drawback predetermination astatine the extremity of February, said Thomson, galore of whom said they'd ne'er voted before.

"Clients were besides conscionable truly excited that we cared capable to see their opinion," Thomson said. "They felt that they often get excluded from these conversations."

Shelter House worked with NWCHC to put proscription to polling stations connected Election Day, portion unit besides walked radical backmost and distant betwixt the structure and nearest polling station.

"We were beauteous impressed with the turnout, fixed the information that it was again, akin to the national election, a beauteous speedy turnaround," said Thomson.

The program is to bash thing akin connected Monday, with NWCHC arranging vans to shuttle radical to polling stations. Thomson said she expects to bash a batch of walking betwixt Shelter House and the closest polling presumption that day.

On Wednesday, NWCHC is hosting a Civic Engagement Day from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. ET astatine 525 Simpson St. successful the Talbot Room.

Attendees volition person assistance completing their elector registration, participating successful a mock vote, and utilizing the Vote Compass instrumentality to amended recognize their governmental priorities and however they align with the large parties' platforms.

"Having these benignant of low-stakes opportunities for radical to signifier is truly helpful, arsenic good arsenic conscionable being capable to recognize however to navigate that system," Thomson said.

"A batch of the times the candidates don't needfully prosecute with this colonisation erstwhile it comes to canvassing, erstwhile it comes to sharing their platforms, and truthful being capable to person tools that assistance america prosecute wherever our governmental priorities prevarication is besides truly adjuvant for radical caller to that governmental process."

Meanwhile, a national candidates' meet-and-greet will beryllium held Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. astatine the Waverley Library branch, wherever assemblage members tin larn much astir the antithetic platforms. All candidates moving successful the Thunder Bay—Superior North and Thunder Bay—Rainy River ridings person been invited.

CBC News has compiled a database of election promises made by Canada's large parties. More accusation astir section candidates successful northwestern Ontario can beryllium recovered here.