title: Conditions for exercising residents' voting rights in long-term care residences: a prospective multicenter study.
abstract: To assess voting conditions in long-term care settings, we conducted a multicenter survey after the 2009 European elections in France. A questionnaire about voting procedures and European elections was proposed in 146 out of 884 randomized facilities. Sixty-four percent of facilities answered the questionnaire. Four percent of residents voted (national turnout: 40%), by proxy (58%) or at polling places (42%). Abstention related to procedural issues was reported in 32% of facilities. Sixty-seven percent of establishments had voting procedures, and 53% declared that they assessed residents' capacity to vote. Assistance was proposed to residents for voter registration, for proxy voting, and for voting at polling places, respectively, in 33%, 87%, and 80% of facilities. This survey suggests that residents may be disenfranchised and that more progress should be made to protect the voting rights of residents in long-term care facilities.
authors.affiliation: a Physician, Assistance-Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) , Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint Denis, and Service de Médecine Interne, Hôpital Louis Mourier , Colombes , France.
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosquet
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: El Massioui
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mahé
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology; D040561:Assisted Living Facilities; D002961:Civil Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000523:psychology; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010361:Patients; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; assisted living; dementia; long-term care; voting rights