The Forgotten Vote

Politics Story
-Ursula Fox-Koor


Larry Hardesty may not have a home, but he does have something valuable -- the right to vote. Hardesty, who resides at the American Red Cross of Tompkins County Friendship Center, will be casting his ballot on Election Day in Tompkins County which is something not many other homeless people can say.

The homeless vote has long been a forgotten vote when it comes to the Presidential Election. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, lower class and homeless individuals vote at a much lower rate than those with a higher income. The majority of the issues voted upon affect the lower class and homeless directly, yet the input from this group is non-existent due to the lack of voting.

Charles Buckley, also a resident of the Center, is not registered to vote. He holds little interest in the election and has no intention of becoming a registered voter. “I follow the election when I have time,” he said.

So why the lack of votes among the homeless? Problems that prevent many homeless people from voting include failure to have proper identification for registration as well as a lack of available resources in order to become knowledgeable about the candidates and their campaigns.

Homeless individuals such as Hardestey are difficult to find among the homeless population. Hardestey is quite knowledgeable about the election and holds strong opinions based on this knowledge. “Republicans have done a crap job for the past eight years,” he said. “I’d like to see a new person because it’s time- I mean, it can’t get any worse.”

Though Hardestey is informed about the election thanks to “the media and people”, many others are not, therefore leaving a large number of homeless individuals who are not registered.

Amanda House, also a resident of the Friendship Center, is not a registered voter and never has been. Her lack of resources regarding the election has led her to choose not to vote. “I never really know who to pick and I’m not good at judging people so I don’t vote,” she said.

Organizations such as the National Coalition for the Homeless have created volunteer-based campaigns across the country such as "You Don't Need a Home to Vote" in order to promote the importance of the homeless vote. The campaigns are an important stride toward obtaining the homeless vote, yet they are still far from achieving this.

In the mean time, it is up to individuals such as Hardestey, to get the word out. “Tell everyone to vote,” he said. “It’s the only way for change.”






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Below, a map of the Friendship Center in Ithaca, NY.