Bringing the Vote to Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities: A Study of the Benefits and Challenges of Mobile Polling

In the United States, the voting right of persons who live in long-term care facilities has not received adequate attention. Residents can lose one of their most cherished rights and electoral credibility can be corrupted. One solution to the problems of voting in long-term care is mobile polling, a process whereby election officials bring the ballot to residents of long-term care facilities, provide voters assistance when needed, and register voters as well. This study compared mobile polling to voting as usual in selected nursing homes in the State of Vermont during the U.S. 2008 general election. Results show that among election officials and nursing homes willing to try mobile polling, it is feasible and generally well accepted by long-term care staff, residents, and election officials; reduces concerns of voter fraud and manipulation; and enhances residents' dignity and rights. The challenges of mobile polling include motivating and training election officials to perform it, providing resources to staff the homes, assuring voter privacy, and obtaining the names of the residents of long-term care facilities in order to assess the proportion of residents who voted. Features of a state or election precinct that can successfully adopt mobile polling include the ability to conduct early voting, access to paper ballots, long-term care facilities which are willing to participate, and a good relationship between the chief election administrator and election officials.