Edwin J. Viera
With less than a month to go before Election Day, New Hampshire voters have plenty of resources about voting in their state.
AARP New Hampshire has launched several election resource websites to provide voters with what information they need at the polls. Some of these websites address fundamental information for voting in the state and what issues matter for people aged 50 and older.
Christina FitzPatrick, state director of AARP New Hampshire, said the impetus for the new websites was dispelling any misinformation about voting this year.
“There is so much rancor out there, and competing views; competing facts,” FitzPatrick observed. “We wanted to serve as a resource for people to get trusted information so that they can vote, and so that they can cast informed votes.”
Another new resource allows people to read what candidate positions are on the issues important to people 50 and older; such as Medicare and Social Security, prescription drug costs, and caring for an ailing parent.
FitzPatrick hopes people take advantage of the resources, so their voices resonate at the ballot box.
One of the new resources AARP New Hampshire has implemented is called In My Shoes. People can share what issues matter most, so candidates can put more focus on them.
FitzPatrick noted it came about because people feel politicians are out of touch and do not understand how certain issues affect them. She described some of the responses as “heartbreaking stories.”
“People have told us they’re eating fewer meals because as inflation causes the prices of gas and food and other necessities to rise, they don’t have the income to keep up,” FitzPatrick recounted. “We’ve also heard about people not getting the dental care that they need.”
People might have had dental care through their job’s health insurance. But, since Medicare does not cover dental procedures, they are left without any substantial dental coverage. Other things she has read include people rationing their prescriptions because they are so expensive.
FitzPatrick hopes the responses spotlight the gravity of how certain matters affect people every day.
Disclosure: AARP New Hampshire contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy & Priorities, Health Issues, Senior Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
References:
Voting guide AARP New Hampshire 09/15/2022
Issues AARP 2022
Candidate positions AARP New Hampshire 09/29/2022
In My Shoes AARP 2022
Survey AARP Oct. 2022
This story was written by Edwin J. Viera, a New York – based reporter, where this story first appeared.
