Nursing homes and elections

Politics & Elections
#1

I heard of a story where this man ran for office. He was doing well until the absentee and mail in ballots were totaled and then he lost. Well he did some looking and he went to a nursing home and talked to some of the residents. One ladies story was interesting - she was blind so he asked her how she filled out her absentee ballot? She said “oh this NICE young man helped me out. He read the ballot, and I told him what I wanted and he filled it out for me”.

I have heard of stories like this where maybe the residents fill in their ballots, then someone else drops them off for them (how nice of them). Or even where if someone is incoherent, someone will fill out there ballot for them because that person “knows how they would vote”.

Or they feed them false information about a candidate in order to influence their vote.
A guy on my Facebook page said his mother had someone offer to take in her absentee ballot.
How common is this?

#2

my father was in a nursing home for 2 years and as far as I know he never voted. His stepson handled the finances for him and my stepmother so I guess he could have helped them vote but I don’t think he did.

Pretty sure It is not legal to fill out a ballot for someone else but maybe some states have exceptions for people who can no longer write.

#3

How is offering to hand in an absentee ballot a sin? Seems like something any grown child of a disabled senior might offer to do. Doesn’t seem especially sinister to me.

#4

I guess the implication is that the person just threw the ballot away (because he didn’t like the way she voted).

Besides, I thought absentee ballots were mailed in, not “taken in.” If I’m right about that, having someone offer to “take it in” does seem a little suspicious.

#5

My mail-in ballot in Illinois had specific instructions on how to have a helper fill out the ballot.

#6

Re: Nursing homes and elections

My father’s wife was in a nursing home, and for five years a ballot was sent there in her name (after she died).
I only knew about this because a few years ago they contacted me and asked what they should do with the ballot. Umm, send it back with ‘Deceased’ written on it?
Oh, they told me on the phone, she gets one sent here every year, I think we just throw them out.

I’m sure they were disposed of, but you wonder.

Off topic, but my Dad has been dead for nine years, and he’s still on the rolls - I see his name in the book every time I vote.
Yes, I have contacted them numerous times, but they want me to jump though numerous hoops to remove him - send in an official death certificate, have a notorized statement drafted to attest to his death (attested by whom? they couldn’t tell me), and other forms filled out.

TL/DR Mostly just conspiracy theory nonsense, but I could see some irregularities happening

#7

In our area they can be turned in at any polling place, not just the polling place you have been assigned. This year they added a drop box at city hall and several drive through drop boxes.

They also made sure to use big print to explain that it would take 71 cents in stamps to cover the postage. Apparently a lot of people were missing that instruction and only putting one stamp on it.

#8

It may never happen at all, since all you’ve brought us for “evidence” is anonymous and detail-less stories.

#9

It’s a topic for discussion. Get over it. I do know seniors get tricked all the time and scammed out of their money. No reason to believe this couldnt be happening also. With the number of senior citizens out there this could become a major issue.

I will be looking into this and I hope others do also.

#10

Any facts at all would be nice, so we know where to look.

#11

Be sure to keep us updated on the progress you make for your investigation.

#12

Last election, there was a poster on this board who bragged about casting a dozen votes this way.