Colorado secretary of state reaches out to homeless voters

DENVER -- Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams is joining an effort aimed at encouraging homeless people to register to vote.

Williams reached out to the homeless on Colfax Avenue in Denver on Tuesday. Joining him were staffers who are certified to run voter registration, as well as interpreters fluent in Spanish, Vietnamese and Cambodian.

Because the homeless often lack a permanent address where county clerks can send them election information and a ballot, they are allowed to the use the addresses of homeless shelters or another "home base."

For example, 1,499 active voters are registered at the St. Francis Center in Denver, 72 at the Denver Rescue Mission and 71 at the Samaritan House, also in Denver.