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February 6, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC—This week, thousands of people were kept from exercising their right to vote in the "Super Tuesday" primaries because of where they live -- nursing homes. In fact, of the 24 states that held primaries, only eight of them focus on helping nursing home residents to vote.

Last Thursday, Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Herb Kohl and Senate Rules Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein heard testimony that nursing home residents are being unfairly excluded from voting.

In some cases, nursing home residents have not been provided transportation to voting locations while mobile voting systems have not been made available for them.

"There is no reason for states to fall down on the job of voter accessibility. We know that innovative mechanisms exist to allow older and disabled Americans to vote regardless of their physical abilities," said Senator Kohl.

"If we do not remove the barriers that prevent elderly and disabled citizens from exercising their right to vote, then we are - for all intents and purposes - disenfranchising them."

The Senators heard that seniors with disabilities are 39 to 48 percent less likely to vote than those without disabilities. Kohl and Feinstein are asking the Election Assistance Commission to investigate the problem and come up with recommendations for states to make the voting process more accessible to nursing home residents.