Casting a Ballot Can Be a High Hurdle for Family Caregivers

Nearly 173,000 Granite Staters care for older parents, spouses, children and adults with disabilities – or other loved ones – helping them to live independently in their homes and communities.  Which is where they want to be. What’s more, these caregivers provide more than $2.3 billion each year in uncompensated services.

A labor of love, family caregiving can be exhausting and overwhelming. That doesn’t change on Election Day. It can be incredibly difficult for many family caregivers to take a break from their caregiving responsibilities to get to the local polling station. And if a caregiver’s loved one is also voting and has mobility issues, it can be even tougher.

But there are options for voting that can help family caregivers.

Absentee voting by mail or early voting could, for family caregivers and many others, be key to fitting voting into a busy life. The rules for early voting, absentee ballots and all-mail voting differ from state to state. Check out the most up-to-date information on voting rules in New Hampshire.

First, make sure you and your loved ones are registered to vote. Registration deadlines and rules vary by state. In New Hampshire, you can register at your town or city clerk’s office on Election Day.  You will be required to fill out a standard voter registration form and show a verifiable proof of domicile.

On Election Day, 34 states – including New Hampshire – require voters to show some form of identification at the polls, asking them to sign a card and checking the signature against their voter registration card.  While Voter ID laws vary from state to state, New Hampshire voters are required to show a photo ID.

Regardless of how you vote, AARP New Hampshire State Director Todd Fahey urges all registered voters to review candidates’ positions on the issues important to them and cast ballots in the upcoming New Hampshire primary elections on September 11.

“The 2018 midterms will be among the most historic elections in a generation,” said Fahey.  “All voters are encouraged to participate, and the candidates for office would be wise to reach out to older voters. Age 50-plus Granite Staters are among the most reliable voters and are highly engaged in the important issues of our day.”

Registered voters will have the opportunity on Tuesday September 11, to vote in primary elections that will determine political parties’ candidates for national, statewide and local offices.  Nationwide, the balance of power in Congress, as well as in many state legislatures and governorships, will be decided in the fall’s general elections.

AARP recently launched Be the Difference. Vote, a multifaceted campaign designed to maximize the influence of America’s 50-plus voters. The campaign seeks to get the largest possible turnout of voters age 50-plus to the polls during the ongoing primaries and in the November general election.

It will also put front and center issues like Medicare, Social Security, family caregiving and other topics of interest to older voters.

Be the Difference. Vote.