Election Integrity Network releases toolkit to prevent nursing home voter coercion

The Election Integrity Network has released a toolkit for long-term care facilities to help prevent voter coercion and ballot harvesting among elderly residents. This initiative follows guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which issued a memo in late July regarding the protection of residents' voting rights.

The CMS memo highlighted past criminal cases in Texas and Wisconsin where elderly individuals were exploited by political operatives or staff to collect votes. While the memo emphasizes that facilities have a responsibility to promote democratic participation, it warns that staff must not engage in inappropriate coercion or violate federal and state voting laws.

The new toolkit suggests that caregivers avoid making assumptions about a resident's political leanings, ensure residents express their own interest in voting, and refer such interest to a designated coordinator. It also stresses that residents should have the right to choose their own voting assistants to ensure their choices are protected from outside pressure.