Helping seniors vote

With the election coming, just about every news source is talking about voting. Here is a senior voting guide to make sure your loved ones get the chance to vote for their favorite candidates:

Registering to vote
In the U.S., citizens who are 18 and older are legally allowed to vote. However, they have to register first. Some seniors may have never done this simple task and need a little assistance. If your loved one would like to register for the first time, visit your state's voting website to fill out the necessary forms. Note that there is a voting registration deadline for each state, so be sure to get this taken care of on time. Another reason a senior may need to register is if he or she has recently moved to a new state. So long as the individual has proof of residence, such as mail to his or her name at an in-state address, this process is easy to complete online or at a polling place. 

Finding information on candidates
Not everyone pays attention to every debate and political happening via social media and the news. That doesn't mean they don't want to vote, though! To get access to the hard facts, encourage your senior loved one to visit the individual candidates' websites. This is where he or she can learn about the politicians' stances on different things like immigration, education and the economy. There are plenty of videos featuring the debates if the senior wants to watch them in real-time or after the fact. There are also websites that compare the candidates side by side on many key issues.

Seniors likely care about different issues than younger voters when assessing potential candidates. For example, Medicare and health insurance are crucial to ensuring the well-being of seniors. Millennials may not pay as much attention to these and pharmacy-related topics when at the polls. Seniors also make note of retirement-related issues and those affecting pensions, disability and life insurance. All of these matters are important to people of all ages whether they realize it or not.

Voting day
On voting day, make sure that your loved one has a ride to the polling place. These locales are open to the public and are often situated in well-known spots such as a library, school or fire station. Voters may be required to show an in-state ID to prove their identity, so be sure the senior brings his or hers along. Driver's licenses work, and so do state IDs, so long as they have a photograph of the cardholder. Some senior living communities provide group transportation from their residences to the local polling place, so ask about this handy option if your loved one lives in a senior community.