AMAC Supports Voting Rights for Seniors in Care Facilities

AMAC firmly believes that individual liberty does not diminish when a senior enters a nursing facility or requires assistance with daily activities.

August 31, 2026

The Honorable Dr. Mehmet Oz

Administrator

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

US Department of Health and Human Services

7500 Security Boulevard

Baltimore, MD 21244

Dear Administrator Oz:

On behalf of AMAC Action, the advocacy affiliate of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC), with over 2 million members nationwide, we write to express our strong support for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services updated guidance, QSSAM-26-04-NH, issued on July 20, 2026.

We commend CMS for reaffirming a fundamental principle: every eligible senior has the right to vote, and every senior has the equal right to choose not to vote. Neither decision should be subject to coercion, pressure, manipulation, or unauthorized action by a nursing facility, its employees, or any other individual.

AMAC Action firmly believes that individual liberty does not diminish when a senior enters a nursing facility or requires assistance with daily activities. Seniors retain their rights and should remain the ultimate decision-makers over personal matters, including whether and how they participate in elections. We therefore strongly support CMS’s clarification that facilities may not register residents to vote without their knowledge and consent and may not complete a mail-in ballot on a resident’s behalf without authorization. These safeguards protect vulnerable seniors from having their identities, choices, or votes used without their permission.

We also support CMS’s encouragement for facilities to coordinate with state and local election officials so that trained, bipartisan election workers facilitate voting. Election administration should remain independent and nonpartisan, particularly in settings where residents may depend upon others for assistance. America’s seniors have spent decades building our families, communities, and nation. Their voices should be respected, and their choices should remain their own.

We appreciate your leadership at CMS and your agency’s reaffirmation of these important protections. Thank you for standing with America’s seniors to protect election integrity.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Weber

CEO, Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC)

Chairwoman, AMAC Action