Brewery in Bristol helps homeless people vote by allowing them to use their address
A Bristol brewery is giving homeless people the opportunity to register to vote ahead of the general election on 12 December.
The owners of Bristol Beer Factory have said rough sleepers from the area can use their brewery, in Southville, as their home address.
The Electoral Commission states that those without a fixed address can still vote as long as they register.
Homeless people can fill out the form and staff will then print and send them out, meaning anyone who filled one out is registered to vote at their address, ahead of the 26 November voter registration deadline.
They have also offered a hot drink to anyone who comes by to register, the company said.
Update: Thank you all for helping to spread the word that having no fixed abode does *NOT* prevent you from registering to vote. It’s great to see engagement in this small, inclusive initiative @ArnolfiniCafe #DontLoseYourVote 🙏 https://t.co/9aBhiVR4II pic.twitter.com/a5fhxYhQsE
— Bristol Beer Factory (@BrisBeerFactory) November 22, 2019
The brewery wrote on its website: “Don’t lose your vote. If you know any homeless people that would like to vote but don’t have an address they can use ours.
“Just let them know to pop to the Arnolfini Café Bar. We’ll give them a form and a hot drink.”
The deadline for registering to vote is 26 November at 11.59pm.
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The Electoral Commission says homeless people can register at an address "where they spend a substantial part of their time during the day or night”.
Ay address can be used but Bristol Beer Factory is hoping that using their postcode will encourage homeless people to vote as they may not know about the rule.
The brewery tweeted thanking people for spreading the word about its electoral initiative.