Homeless men and women will now be able to use a prescription pill bottle or inhaler with their name on it as an acceptable form of identification for voting in the May provincial election.

Many homeless people either have their identification stolen or lose it. Getting it back can prove an enormous challenge, especially when the person has no fixed address, according to Jay Stewart, manager of community engagement for Union Gospel Mission.

Most British Columbians are able to meet Elections B.C.’s identification requirement by showing government-issued ID such as a driver’s licence, which shows the holder’s name, home address and photograph.

For the homeless and those without government-issued identification, Elections B.C. also allows people to show two other kinds of identification with the voter’s name. One document must contain the voter’s residential address, so many homeless people use their Lifeskills membership card.

A form of identification used by many homeless people in the provincial riding of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, which encompasses the Downtown Eastside, the Lifeskills card has the person’s name, date of birth, photograph and address of Lifeskills at 412 East Cordova. The cards are issued by Lifeskills, a drug-users drop-in centre.

Stewart praised Elections B.C. for being open to recognizing that the people living in the neighbourhood face unique challenges when it comes to exercising their right to vote.

“This is a brand new thing,” Stewart said.”It’s great news for the community. If we deliver one extra person to the polls, we would consider this a success.”

Stewart said UGM hopes the template used for the advance polls and the May provincial general election can be extended to include municipal and federal elections.

“We’re working in concert with everybody. When we look back five or ten years down the road, how many people will we have collectively helped engage and bring to the polls?”

Stewart said he didn’t have any idea how many additional people may be able to vote because of the Elections B.C. policy change.

Andrew Watson, communications coordinator for Elections B.C., said the move came about in response to requests from advocates for homeless women and men.

“We always try to make the process as accessible as possible to anyone who is qualified,” he said. “If these people are eligible to vote, then we try to do everything we can so they can do that.”

As part of a campaign to increase voter turnout in the Downtown Eastside, Union Gospel Mission started its expanded voter registration drive on Tuesday. It continues at 601 East Hastings Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and on Thursday, April 18 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Union Gospel Mission’s Maurice McElrea Place at 361 Heatley Street is holding advance polling daily from Wed., May 8 to Sat., May 11 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The provincial election is Tuesday, May 14.

kevingriffin@vancouversun.com

SIDEBAR

Voters have to prove their identity and residential address to receive a ballot to vote. Voters can do this by either showing identification or by a process called vouching.