Homeless Voices for Justice moves Portland voters to polls

Homeless Voices for Justice is transporting voters from three Portland shelters to polling places today. The nonprofit operates under the fiscal sponsorship of Preble Street and provides rides to address the specific barriers that keep unhoused residents from casting ballots. This direct action follows a year of targeted outreach aimed at increasing participation among a demographic that often struggles to access the ballot box.

The organization launched its first phase of work in May. Staff set up tables around the city to collect voter registration cards and educate residents on their rights. This period ran through Oct. 13, the deadline for online registration. Jane Dawson, a community organizer for Preble Street, said she expected many voters to register on Election Day, a practice permitted in Maine. The second phase shifted to candidate education, including a forum for Portland City Council races and a voter guide covering the governor's and 1st Congressional District races.

Voting rules in Maine allow homeless people to vote using non-traditional addresses. Robert Demmons, 69, used this provision last Wednesday. He swore an oath before a clerk at Portland City Hall stating he lived in a shelter before voting on the penultimate day of early voting. Demmons has been homeless for seven years, three of them in Portland. He is currently seeking an apartment with help from Preble Street's Rapid Re-Housing team and expressed frustration with the city's debate over winter shelter locations.

Barriers to voting remain substantial for this population. A 2012 study by the National Coalition to End Homelessness found that only one in 10 homeless people vote annually. Marcy Thompson, vice president of programs and policy for the National Alliance to End Homelessness, noted that issues like lost identification during police sweeps and strict shelter curfews complicate the process. She described the situation as one where residents are often in survival mode, making the election a lower priority than immediate needs.

Cumberland County holds the state's largest population of unhoused people, according to the 2026 Point In Time survey. Most of these individuals are in Portland, which has a higher concentration of shelters and services than other cities. The city has been navigating policy debates on panhandling, mental health, and public safety. Mayor Mark Dion proposed limiting panhandling in specific areas and called for secure treatment centers as an alternative to incarceration.

The group's current voter outreach is concentrated in Portland, though Preble Street opened a low-barrier shelter in Bangor last year. Richard Long, who has stayed at the city's emergency shelter on Riverside Street for a year and a half, said he has never voted and does not plan to this November. He described himself as disconnected from politics while focusing on his daily survival.

Demmons, staying at Elena's Way, remains engaged. He suggested specific improvements for the city, including using the former Renys storefront on Congress Street for a winter shelter and building a tiny home village with shared laundry and bathroom facilities.