This thread reminded me of something I witnessed on the last election day. As I was voting I overheard a middle-aged woman helping her elderly mother vote. She was speaking very loudly, so I couldn’t help but hear what was going on. It became apparent that the younger woman was literally telling her mother whom to vote for. Statements like “I don’t care for this woman, vote for this other guy instead.” Throughout the entire ballot, the mother simply voted for the people her daughter supported. Now, I don’t have a problem with a person helping someone else get through the mechanics of casting their vote, but I draw the line at actually telling someone who to vote for.
On the other hand, if the mother was suffering from dementia, that wouldn’t disqualify her from voting. So how else would she know who to vote for?
Not sure about the yelling it aloud part of the story - but as far as daughter suggesting who mom vote for? Why not.
Often I will go vote and have a few major candidates I feel passionate for, but perhaps have no clue about local judges or school board or county commissioners or whatever - and if a friend/relative actually knew some of those people and could vouch for them, well - I guess I could be swayed. (Normally I just don’t vote for any candidate when I have no clue who any of them are…)
It might have been wiser to have a “cheat sheet” for mom, and yelling it aloud is probably not good form - but I wouldn’t have been wildly upset.
Yeah, I don’t know about yelling it but the mere act of taking someone else’s word on who to vote for doesn’t seem much worse if it’s a (trusted) child or the local newspaper’s op-ed column. It’s possible that the mother was being “taken advantage of” but I wouldn’t just assume this; it’s also possible that if she wanted to go it alone, she would have told her daughter to take a hike.