Protecting Your Ohio Long Term Care Community During Elections: Part 1
It is important for residential communities to perform a self-assessment to protect the voting rights of residents and protect the staff and facility from legal issues and bad publicity. Asking the following questions may be helpful in identifying any vulnerabilities.
- Am I providing quality training to staff regarding adherence to state and federal election laws?
- Does my facility have unmonitored assistance with ballot requests or submissions?
- Are there non-government organizations entering my facility to assist residents with any aspect of the voting process?
- Are there ballot requests and/or ballot submissions of residents with dementia and/or other mental impairments?
- Are there non-government organizations approaching my staff with requests to fill out residents’ ballots?
- Do I have good management oversight of all aspects of the voting process, including secure chain-of-custody of mail-in ballots?
Once an assessment has been performed and vulnerabilities identified, facilities can begin to develop policies, procedures, and training.
A helpful Ohio legal guide can be requested (no cost) by emailing Laura.Williams@centerforvulnerablevoters.org. Additional training materials are available at www.centerforvulnerablevoters.org and the Center also provides in-person training upon request.
Disclaimer: This information is being provided for educational purposes and should not be construed as legal advice. You should always consult an attorney before taking action to ensure that recent changes in law have not altered your obligations.
