The right to vote is inarguably a pillar of democracy in the United States of America. By voting, you can have your voice heard, and just one vote can make all the difference, so voting is always important. That’s why it’s just as important to remember thatpeople in nursing homes and long-term care facilities retain their voting rights, no matter where they live or what sort of specialized care they need.
All Nursing Home Residents Can Vote
If you live in a nursing home or long-term care center,you have the right to vote—so please consider using it.
Sometimes, nursing home residents and elderly people with special care needs like dementia care or mobility issues are led to believe that they aren’t allowed to vote due to their conditions or lack of day-to-day independence. It’s simply not true, though. Federal regulations are in place to guarantee that every long-term care facility resident has not just the right to vote but also the ability to exercise those rights.
Nursing Homes Must Not Interfere with the Right to Vote
Not only do nursing home residents have the right to vote, but also nursing home centers and long-term care facilities must never interfere with that all-important right. Under federal regulations, a “facility must ensure that [a] resident can exercise his or her [voting] rights without interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal from the facility.” Oftentimes, this regulation is interpreted to also mean that a long-term care center should make reasonable efforts to allow its residents to vote.
Nursing homes that want to help their residents vote can:
- Coordinate with state and municipal governments about mobile polling options at the nursing home.
- Survey residents to inquire about voter registration and/or vote-by-mail status.
- Provide postage and stationery to allow residents to vote by mail.
- Use efficient mail processing standards to ensure any mail ballots from residents are mailed as soon as possible.
- Offer no-cost transportation between the nursing home and local polling places.
It is important to reiterate that nursing home staff are not legally allowed to try to influence or coerce a resident to vote a certain way or to not vote at all. Also, nursing home staff is not permitted to determine who is “fit to vote.”The right to vote belongs to all nursing home and long-term care residents, regardless of age or health status.
Live in a Long-Term Care Center? Vote!
At Brown & Barron, LLC, we are proud to be known across Maryland as defenders of the rights of injured elders in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Of course, we believe all rights of nursing home residents are important, including the right to vote. If you live in a long-term care center or nursing home, we highly encourage you to use your voting rights in any election that interests you. If you need help figuring out how to vote, please ask a staff member or caretaker for more information. You can also visithttps://www.usa.gov/register-to-votefor more information. Thank you.