Smith ensures seniors can vote with ease & confidence

January 31, 2008

OREGON U.S. SENATOR
GORDON SMITH
PRESS RELEASE: Jan. 31, 2008
CONTACT: KIMBERLY COLLINS, (202) 224-5364

Smith Ensures Seniors Can Cast Their Vote with Ease and Confidence
Ranking Member Sen. Smith during a hearing of the Special Committee on the Aging

January 31st, 2008 - Washington, D.C. - To ensure that seniors can cast their vote in elections safely and with confidence, Senator Gordon H. Smith (R-OR) joined the Senate Special Committee on Aging today to study voter accessibility and current Voter ID laws. Senator Smith serves as the Committee’s Ranking Member.

“The right of citizens of the United States to vote is fundamental to our freedom as a nation,” said Senator Smith. “Our seniors must be able to exercise that right with confidence and ease.

“We need a process that is simple and secure for the elderly so they can remain engaged as voters. Unfortunately, older citizens often are the target of voter fraud and we need more initiatives to deter and detect bad actors. I support innovative approaches to increase access to voting for seniors that include proper safeguards to ensure the integrity of the electoral system.”

At the Committee hearing, “Older Voters: Opportunities and Challenges for the 2008 Election,” Senator Smith heard testimony on issues related to senior transportation and mobility; poll site accessibility for the disabled; challenges and opportunities with alternative types of voting, including absentee voting; and Voter ID requirements in effect in certain states.

At the hearing, Senator Smith questioned Barbara Bovberg from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on transportation challenges to and from polling locations and accessibility issues at polling locations. The committee also heard testimony from Michael Waterstone, an Associate Professor at Loyola University, who spoke on absentee voting and the challenges it presents for seniors and persons with disabilities.
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