Protecting the Vote in America’s Nursing Homes

The Election Integrity Network is launching a nationwide effort aimed at protecting nursing home and long-term care residents from coercion or unauthorized assistance when registering or casting ballots.

The organization’s Protecting Vulnerable Voters Project provides families, facility staff and volunteers with guidance on residents’ voting rights, proper procedures and warning signs of possible improper activity. The initiative is being promoted in partnership with the Association of Mature American Citizens, a Bohemia-based seniors advocacy organization.

The effort follows new guidance issued in July by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reminding federally regulated nursing facilities that residents retain both the right to vote and the right to decline participation. Facilities and employees are prohibited from coercing or improperly influencing residents. CMS said the guidance reinforces existing requirements rather than creating new regulations.

CMS also highlighted previous cases raising concerns about vulnerable voters. In Texas, a social worker was charged in 2020 with 134 felony counts after authorities alleged she submitted voter registration applications for 67 residents of a state-supported living center without their signatures or effective consent.

In New York, a city comptroller audit found that just 37% of 6,319 residential-care residents who received absentee ballots in 2022 were recorded as voting. Auditors found the Board of Elections failed to visit some facilities as required, potentially leaving residents reliant on others to return their ballots.

“Living in a nursing home or residential facility does not surrender a citizen’s right to vote — and it does not give anyone else the right to cast that ballot,” Election Integrity Network President Sharon Bemis said.

The toolkit includes materials for families and facility administrators, guidance for volunteers and information for contacting election officials or other authorities when concerns arise. EIN says volunteers are instructed to educate and observe, but not handle ballots, determine a resident’s capacity or pressure residents about voting.

AMAC CEO Rebecca Weber said the goal is to ensure that each resident’s ballot reflects that individual’s choice rather than the preference of a caregiver, employee, activist or anyone else.