Neglecting the Voting Rights of Seniors

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Election officials, said Karlawish, have paid limited attention to two
key issues: assuring that residents of long-term care facilities have
access to the ballot, and preventing unscrupulous persons from
exploiting their vote. Twenty-nine states do not have voting guidelines
to accommodate residents of long-term care facilities. An increasingly
larger number of Americans with cognitive impairments ranging from mild
to severe live in long-term care settings such as assisted living
facilities and nursing homes.

"Elderly voters especially elderly
voters who live in long-term care settings are at the mercy of others
when it comes to exercising their right to vote," said Karlawish. Due
to geographical distances, the lack of transportation to polling sites,
and the lack of assistance to absentee ballot applications, it is other
people who decide whether or not older Americans with issues of
mobility can vote.

Karlawish is developing guidelines for mobile
polling model, similar to programs used in Australia and Canada, to
improve access to voting for older Americans. In this model, election
officials or equivalent groups would visit long-term facilities in
their district to help interested people register, directly distribute
ballots to long-term facility residents, assist with voting, collect
ballots and ensure the ballots are returned safely to a polling site.

Dr.
Karlawish is available to discuss recent research and guidelines to
help reduce voting barriers for older Americans in long-term care
facilities.