What you need to know to vote as a homeless person in Kansas City

by Mili Mansaray, Beacon: Kansas City
September 4, 2024

Douglas Zaerr has been voting since he turned 18 years old. Now 61, he last cast his vote on the stadium sales tax in April. He was homeless at the time. He found housing recently, but he’d been homeless for much of the past 10 years — and it never stopped him from casting a ballot.

“It’s your right,” said Zaerr.

Jump to the resources section to find agencies that help homeless people get vital records, IDs and residential addresses.

When Zaerr moved from his previous shelter to reStart Inc. last year, he had to reregister to vote.

But he had lost everything in a house fire, including important records. Without an address and photo identification — two essential items for voting — he turned to the shelter staff for help.

“A lot of times (people sleeping in shelters) don’t have a safe place to keep their vital documents,” said Marisa Butler, the substance use prevention specialist at reStart. “We’re working with them to get birth certificates, photo IDs, state IDs — things like that. It’s very costly and time-consuming.”

The stress of being on the street makes showing up to the polls difficult for many eligible voters.

Just 10% of homeless people vote, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. By comparison, 66.8% of eligible voters participated in the 2020 election.

“Just being able to have time to vote, know when the election is, know where your polling place is, remember what address you had last used, or if you have registered — all of that is also time-consuming,” Butler said. “And when your needs aren’t being met, that’s maybe not a top priority either.”

ReStart is one of many Kansas City organizations that help homeless people get vital documents, such as birth certificates and state IDs. For many, these services are essential. Without them, navigating the process would be nearly impossible.

“Just to get your Social Security card you have to have a birth certificate,” Zaerr said. “To get your birth certificate, you have to have money and a place to mail it to. Then you take your birth certificate and Social Security card and apply for a state ID. Then it takes two weeks before it’s mailed to you.”

The Beacon has prepared a resource guide for homeless and low-income residents in Missouri listing the organizations that can help them obtain the necessary documents for voting.

What materials do you need to vote in Missouri?

To register 

Eligibility requirements:

• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• You must be a resident of Missouri.
• You must be at least 17½ years old to register and 18 years old by Election Day.
• You cannot be on probation or parole after a felony conviction, unless you have had your voting rights restored.

Identification requirements:

To register to vote, you will be asked to provide a residential address and a form of ID, such as a Missouri driver’s license or state ID. But the ID isn’t required upfront. You can still register using the Missouri mail-in application form available at all Kansas City Public Library locations and the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners office. You can also use the last four digits of your Social Security number to register in person. But you will need to present a valid ID before you actually cast a ballot.

To vote

In Missouri, voters are required to present a valid and unexpired form of identification when voting. Here are the acceptable forms of photo ID you can use at the polls:

• Driver’s license or state ID – A Missouri driver’s license or nondriver’s state identification card.
• Military ID – A military ID card issued by the U.S. government.
• Passport – A valid United States passport.
• Other government-issued ID – Any other identification issued by the United States or the state of Missouri that includes the name of the voter, a photograph and an expiration date.  (IDs for people over 65 that are otherwise valid do not need an expiration date.)

If you don’t have an acceptable form of photo ID, you can still cast a provisional ballot. For your provisional ballot to be counted, you must return to the polling place with a valid ID before the polls close. If you can’t meet that deadline, election officials are supposed to verify your eligibility by comparing your signature on the provisional ballot with the signature on your voter registration card.

How can I get a photo ID or birth certificate in Missouri? 

To get a Missouri nondriver license or a Missouri driver’s license you must present:

• Proof of identity — birth certificate, passport, certification of citizenship etc.
• Date of lawful status (if applicable) — documents containing the date a person’s legal status in the U.S. was officially recognized. You can use a certificate of citizenship, a valid and unexpired permanent resident card, an employment authorization document, a foreign passport with a U.S. visa accompanied by an I-94, and other options.
• Social Security number.
• Proof of Missouri residential address — utility bill, voter registration card, bank statement, housing or leasing agreement, W-2, or other documents that offer some proof of where you live.
• Homelessness letter — many service providers can write their clients homelessness letters to present at the DMV. This letter can help satisfy the address requirement when applying for a state ID or driver’s license.

A first-time driver will need to pass the state driver’s test and provide all the necessary materials to get a Missouri driver’s license. The fee for a nondriver ID that is valid for up to six years is $18. A six-year driver’s license is $27.

The standard process for obtaining identification typically starts with retrieving a birth certificate, followed by a Social Security card, and then applying for a state ID. A Kansas City Fountain Card, although not accepted as a valid photo ID for voting, may help speed up the process when combined with other materials proving your identity, such as an old high school ID, old mail, or a jail ID card. Fountain cards are issued by the Kansas City Health Department.

“If you don’t have traditional things then you’ll need a hodgepodge,” said Josh Henges, the city’s homeless prevention coordinator. “It’s case by case, but I’ve seen the patchwork work. It depends on who’s working the desk that day.”

What resources can help you obtain the materials needed to get an ID or birth certificate in Missouri?

• Care Beyond the Boulevard Inc., 3150 Fiberglass Road in Kansas City, Kansas, is a mobile clinic that helps homeless patients retrieve their birth certificates and IDs through case management services. To receive this service guests must be an established patient with the organization.
• KC Beehive, 750 The Paseo, helps people retrieve identifying documents.
• The Kansas City Public Library, 14 W. 10th St., provides vouchers for homeless guests to get their birth certificates and helps with other parts of the ID process. These services are offered at the Central, Northeast, Bluford and Westport branches. Guests can also register to vote at the library.
• Kansas City Health Department, 2400 Troost Ave., offers on-site printing of birth certificates for residents born in Missouri through the Bureau of Vital Records. Printing birth certificates is $15.
• Kansas City Lived Experience Advisory Committee, the city is putting together a team that will help people get identifying documents, according to Henges, the city’s homeless prevention coordinator.
• The Missouri Department of Revenue provides one nondriver’s license at no charge to Missourians who want to get an ID for voting purposes and don’t already have one.
• Morning Glory Ministries, 416 W. 12th St., helps homeless guests with getting a birth certificate and photo ID.
• The Missouri Secretary of State’s Office will help residents get the documents needed for a Missouri nondriver license. The office will pay for official documents from other states or the federal government.
• Reconciliation Services, 3101 Troost Ave., covers the cost of retrieving a birth certificate and ID for clients. Reconciliation Services can also notarize applications for out-of-state birth certificates.

Caseworkers advise clients to start the process for a birth certificate or ID as soon as possible, especially if they want to vote in the November election. It typically takes four to six weeks to receive a birth certificate from out of state, said Alexis Martin, the social services manager with Reconciliation Services.

Rikki Fulmer, executive director of A Turning Point, said that certain states like California and New Jersey can take longer to deliver birth certificates.

Whose address can I use for voter registration in Missouri? 

• City Union Mission, allows guests and program participants to use the address of one of its shelters for birth certificates, ID cards, and other government documents. City Union Mission also encourages shelter guests to set up a free post office box for general mail. The Women and Family Ministry is located at 1310 Wabash Ave., the Men’s Center is at 1108 E. 10th St., and the Christian Life Center is at 1111 E. 10th St.
• Hope Faith Homeless Assistance Campus, 705 Virginia Ave., provides guests who receive services with a mailbox.
• Independence Boulevard Christian Church, 606 Gladstone Ave., lets guests use its address for voter registration.
• Pride Haven, 3109 Campbell St., is an LGBTQ+ queer youth shelter that allows guests receiving services to use its address for IDs and voting.
• ReDiscover’s Kansas City Assessment & Triage Center, 2600 E. 12th St., allows guests receiving case management services to use its address for mail.
• ReStart Inc., 918 E. Ninth St., works with guests to get them birth certificates and IDs. Clients can also use its address for registration.
• Salvation Army – Adult Rehabilitation Center, 1351 E. 10th St., allows guests in its drug and alcohol program to receive mail there during the duration of the program.
• Sheffield Place, 6604 E. 12th St., serves homeless moms and their children. Residents can use its addresses for voter registrations.
• A Turning Point, 1900 N.E. Englewood Road in Gladstone, allows homeless guests to use its center as a mailing address. They also pay for guests to retrieve IDs. Homeless people are welcome to come in and set up a mailbox, but due to limited services they only pay for IDs of clients from the day shelter.

What is the voter registration deadline in Missouri? 

The Missouri voter registration deadlines for the Nov. 5, 2024, election are:

• Online registration deadline: Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024
• Register by mail deadline: Must be postmarked by Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024
• In-person registration deadline: Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024

This article first appeared on Beacon: Kansas City and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.