Editor's Note
Call me crazy, but I believe individual votes matter.
Wait, don’t stop reading yet. Like most Americans—me included—by now you are probably looking forward to November 8 if for no other reason than it means the end of campaigning and election coverage.
As frustrating as this election cycle has been, I still believe in the importance of voting, and so do the people behind “Homeless, Not Voiceless,” a recent campaign to get homeless Coloradans in the Denver metro area registered to vote.
It’s difficult to decide whether or not your vote matters when you don’t even know if you have one. The goal of Homeless, Not Voiceless was to get the message out about how easy it is in Colorado to register to vote.
People experiencing homelessness in the U.S. don’t need a traditional permanent address in order to register to vote; someone can register using the address of a shelter—and in some cases even a park bench. Oftentimes, it is not lack of a physical address but rather lack of an official ID that makes voting difficult. Colorado is one of the states that makes it relatively easy to provide identification and receive a ballot, and I’m proud of us for that.
On page 4, we hear from several VOICE vendors about their experiences voting while homeless in Colorado. All agree that the process was relatively painless. Vendor Brian Augustine even remarked that voting was one of the few times he didn’t have to wait in a long, frustrating line.
Our cover story this month features Prophets of Rage, a supergroup made up of members of Rage Against the Machine, Cypress Hill, and Public Enemy. In an interview exclusively for street papers, the Prophets of Rage talk about fighting the system, helping people experiencing homelessness, and “making America rage again.”
Whether or not you think America needs to rage again, we hope you enjoy our collection of empowered voices this month. ■
If you have something to add to the conversation, say it! Post on our Facebook page at /denvervoice or email editor@denvervoice.org.