SENIOR VOTING DURING THE PANDEMIC

Seven months after inception, the United States is saddled with masks, social distancing and closed businesses – all reminders of a now out-of-control coronavirus pandemic.  Even as pandemic dynamics change, one truth persists: little attention is being paid to its impact on senior citizens.  Whether it is the physical toll or isolation, senior Covid 19 topics get short shrift.  And now, less than four weeks before a momentous election, the implications of Covid 19 on senior citizens’ ability to vote is not on our nation’s radar screen.  

This is a sad and significant reality for several reasons.  First, senior citizens boast the highest voting turnout of all age groups.  For the past fifty years, voter turnout for those 65 or older has exceeded 60% each election, sometimes exceeding 70%.   Voting is a serious matter for senior citizens.

Source: Statista 2020

Second, several senior citizen issues are on the ballot and imperiled in 2020.   Winners of this election will decide the fate of health insurance, how to address Covid 19 and Medicare/Medicaid as well as other day-to-day matters, many which disproportionately affect seniors.  Seniors are key stakeholders and their voices need to be heard.

Lastly, Covid 19 has been especially dangerous for seniors.  Eighty percent (80%) of Covid 19 deaths have been senior citizens living in assisted living facilities or nursing homes.   Consequently, seniors have been isolated since the pandemic began and rarely risk visiting public venues.  Understandably, venturing to a polling place to vote is a daunting thought for the elderly.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Coronavirus Disease 2019, Older Adults; September 11, 2020.

What, you ask, is the upshot?  Election 2020 in a coronavirus environment could mean the disenfranchisement of a vulnerable group that deserves to have their voices heard.  Seniors need advocates to fight on their behalf, ensuring they are not marginalized and their voices snuffed out in a coronavirus-infested society.  

What We Can Do

√      Acknowledge that we have a serious senior voting problem

√      Volunteer to assist seniors with mail-in ballots to minimize errors and increase the likelihood all votes will be counted (e.g., written flyers and other forms of instruction)

√      Garner resources to provide in-person voting assistance – transportation, masks/gloves; lawn chairs, snacks, etc…