The elderly vote is obviously an important one. So much so that voter fraud efforts may be at their highest levels this election cycle, with senior citizens at the center of the fraud in many cases.
Voting day in a small town . Photo courtesy of Muffet
While the economy is top of mind for many voters this presidential election years, potential Medicare reform is likely what’s motivating many senior citizens to cast their vote this year. So they’ve become the latest target in voter fraud and manipulation.
People pretending to be election officials have called elderly voters in at least three states (Florida, Indiana and Virginia) inviting them to vote by telephone. The callers are telling the elderly that if they vote by telephone they will not have to worry about casting their ballots at their polling sites on or before election day.
Some seniors like Kurtis Killian, a Republican from St. Augustine, Florida, immediately knew that the telephone call he received is a scam. But this can be a very tempting offer for a home bound senior citizen, or someone who doesn’t drive, have easy access to transportation or someone to take them to the polls. Then again, if voting by phone were possible and legal, almost everyone would do it.
But these calls obviously aren’t intended to get more people voting. The calls are intended to cheat elderly people out of their vote. The calls may also be an attempt to get important information that can lead to identity theft.
Police haven’t discovered who is begin the fraud, but the FBI is investigating. In the meantime, seniors once again, are being preyed upon. If scams like this succeed, the elderly and the rest of the country will suffer the consequences.
It’s nobody’s business who anyone chooses to vote for. But no one’s vote should be stolen from them, especially in the privacy and comfort of their own home.
Make sure it doesn’t happen to your, your mom, dad or any other elderly person.
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I'm a working wife and mom who takes care of an aging parent. Only I began doing it full-time, in my home, when I was in my mid-thirties, single and about to make a career change. Thirteen years later, mom is still living with me and I expect it to be that way until one of us leaves this earth. It hasn't always been easy managing her care. (I've helped my mother recover from surgery, and a major injury that required a nursing home stay, as well as the death of my younger brother after a long illness.) But caring for her has been worth it because I know that my assistance means she enjoys a better quality of life as she ages. I hope the experiences and information that I share will help you manage,with grace, the changes that take place in your life as you assume the responsibility of being your parent's caregiver. If you have a question you think I can answer, please contact me at Cynthia@motherskeeper.com
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