Older Voters

Seniors are America's most dependable voters; they vote in all elections and contests on the ballot. But definitions of seniors are changing and so, too, must the campaign outreach techniques and strategies used by candidates, consultants, political parties, and advocacy groups, especially to reach seniors with limited sight, hearing, and mobility.

Groundbreaking empirical study of voting by resident aliens in established democracies.

Federal law requires polling places for federal elections to be accessible to older voters & voters with physical disabilities. Following reports of problems encountered in the close 2000 presidential election with respect to voter registration lists, absentee ballots, ballot counting, & antiquated voting systems, the Help Amer. Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) was enacted. Among HAVA includes requirements for the accessibility of voting systems. This testimony focuses on: (1) a variety of factors that affect the ability of older voters to travel to polling places, cast their votes in the voting room, or avail themselves of alternative voting provisions; & (2) trends & changes regarding the accessibility of polling places & alternative voting methods. Illus.

Providing a comprehensive overview of issues of ageing from a global perspective this ambitious text introduces the reader to a wide range of issues and policies on ageing. Topics examined include: theoretical perspectives on ageing in society; demographic trends; roles played by older people as political actors; migration; health; pensions; family and institutional care; and elder abuse. This will be an essential text for students of social gerontology, as well as an invaluable resource for students of nursing, social work, social policy and development studies.

Voting is fundamental to the U.S. democratic system and federal law provides broad protections for people with disabilities, including older voters. Many long-term care facility residents, who often have physical or cognitive impairments, vote by absentee or early ballot. Concerns have been raised about the extent to which states and localities are helping the increasing number of facility residents exercise their right to vote, especially those requiring voting assistance, who may be subject to undue influence or unauthorized completion of their ballot by facility staff or relatives. Given these concerns, this report identified the actions taken to facilitate and protect voting for long-term care facility residents at: (1) the state level; and (2) the local level. Charts and tables.

The solution to youth voter turnout requires focus on helping young people follow through on their political interests and intentions.

The successor to Robert Hudson's The Future of Age-Based Public Policy, this volume offers a variety of perspectives on these policy issues that directly effect America's aging population -- particularly the relative merits of using chronological age to determine eligibility for government programs.