Voter Photo ID Outreach

Description

Wood River Health Services adds voter photo id outreach to resource fair

As part of its contribution to the Behavioral Needs Network Resource Fair to be held 9 a.m. until noon at Tower Street Community Center in Westerly on Sept. 22, Wood River Health Services has arranged for representatives from the Secretary of State’s office to provide voter identification cards to those who need them to meet the state’s new voter identification law.
Voter registration forms will also be available.
“Wood River Health is committed to empowering the people we serve, and voting is one of the ways we can all exercise what power we possess,” Wood River Health Services Development Coordinator David Henley said. “Voter ID laws are controversial because they tend to disenfranchise the young, the poor and the elderly disproportionally. These are populations we can reach and help them to be heard on election day.”
  Any United States citizen above the age of 16 not currently incarcerated for a felony crime may register to vote. Rhode Island does not permit online voter registration, but anyone wishing to take a registration form with them to fill out later and submit by mail may do so.
Legislation passed last year in Rhode Island, will phase in a requirement that photo identification such as a driver’s license, passport, or military or other government-issued photo id must be shown at the polling place. Voters without a photo ID will be allowed to vote conditionally and will need to provide ID later.
The deadline for registering to be eligible to vote in this year’s November 6 General Election is October 7.
Wood River HealthServices is a non-profit, full-service Community Health Center serving southwestern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut, providing primary and family medical and dental care and a nationally recognized chronic disease management program, as well as social services, nutrition counseling, WIC program and a food pantry.
The center also provides behavioral and mental health counseling. Lab testing, including blood work, x-ray and mammography, is available on-site in cooperation with Westerly Hospital.
Sliding scale payments are available to those who qualify.
Wood River Health Services is located at 823 Main St., Hope Valley (on Route 3 south of the village, just off Route I-95 at Exit 2). For more information, call Development Coordinator David Henley at (401) 387-9628 or visit the web site at www.woodriverhealthservices.org.