Protecting Vulnerable Nebraska Voters
Their Vote. Their Choice.
Every eligible Nebraska voter deserves the opportunity to vote, and the right to make that decision for themselves.
For residents of nursing homes and long-term-care facilities, assistance should protect the voter's choice, never replace it.
The Ballot Belongs to the Voter
CMS guidance reinforces important protections for residents of nursing facilities:
✓ The right to vote
✓ The right to decline to vote
✓ Freedom from coercion or improper influence
✓ No registration without the resident's knowledge and consent
✓ No completing a mail ballot on a resident's behalf without authorization
✓ Residents who need assistance should have options for who assists them
CMS also encourages coordination with state election officials and bipartisan election workers where permitted by state law.
Help them vote if they choose to vote.
Respect them if they choose not to.
Never make the choice for them.
SIX QUESTIONS FOR FAMILIES
Before Helping a Loved One Vote
A simple conversation can help families understand whether their loved one understands voting and can express their own wishes.
1
DO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT VOTING IS?
2
DO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR VOTE DOES?
3
CAN THEY EXPRESS THEIR OWN CHOICE?
4
CAN THEY RECOGNIZE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHOICES?
5
DO THEY UNDERSTAND THAT ELECTIONS CAN AFFECT THEM?
6
DO THEY WANT TO VOTE?
The underlying EIN guide expressly describes this as a conversation for family and trusted friends, not activists or political workers. It is not itself a legal determination of voting capacity.
Don't coach answers or make choices for someone else. This family conversation guide is educational and does not determine legal eligibility or capacity to vote.
Know Where to Turn
If you have a loved one in a Nebraska nursing home or long-term-care facility, ask the facility how voting assistance is handled and how residents' choices and privacy are protected.
If you believe someone's voting rights have been violated, contact the appropriate county election official or Nebraska Secretary of State's Elections Division.
Protect access. Protect autonomy. Protect the ballot.
Their Vote. Their Choice.