Of 24 Super Tuesday Primary States, Only 8 Facilitated Voting in Nursing Homes!

[Traveling_Home]

http://jfactivist.typepad.com/jfactivist/2008/02/voting-obstacle.html

Of 24 Super Tuesday Primary States, Only 8 Facilitated Voting in Nursing Homes!

On January 31, the Senate Special Committee on Aging's held a hearing entitled "Older Voters: Opportunities and Challenges for the 2008 Election," which focused attention on barriers to voting to residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. We know that thousands of people with disabilities are included in that category.

In his opening statement, Senator Kohl (D-WI), stated:


"24 states will hold primary elections on Super Tuesday just five days from now. Eight of these states facilitate voting in long-term care settings either by setting up public polling locations on the premises, sending election officials into the facility to assist seniors, or helping nursing home administrators obtain absentee ballots in advance."


"But the other sixteen states currently make no accommodations for voters living in long-term care settings, and long-term care administrators are offered no direction from election officials as to how they should assist their residents with their voting."

http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001XgLzLVWMRBXRqqy2hGEZIjF9GlOuVGlOxtvrVhVY0_2w2LrEREN2rBCUvfW2i8M97lDEGqDUuM_mSNYXK0IgZ_XtrY6zpkp7Gn5HVHAyVqsuBWn4HIl8kA==">View or listen to an archived copy of the webcast (uncaptioned) of the Senate Special Committee on Aging's hearing entitled "Older Voters: Opportunities and Challenges for the 2008 Election" from the Committee's website.

[MADem]

1. This IS a nationwide issue and it merits more attention.

I take older voters to the polls, and they're quite motivated as a bloc.

K/R.

[madrchsod]

2. i vote at an old folks home....

"have you always voted republican,hon?" "yes i have"...."she wants a republican ballot"..i love voting in the old folks home!

[KamaAina]

3. We're fighting a plan to build more nursing homes right now

this is some extra ammunition we can use. Mahalo (thank you)!