Addressing the Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues Raised by Voting by Persons with Dementia

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Center for Bioethics Papers
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dementia
voting
long-term care
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Bioethics and Medical Ethics
Civil Rights and Discrimination
Elder Law
Health Policy
Psychiatric and Mental Health
Public Policy
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Bonnie, Richard J
Appelbaum, Paul S
Lyketsos, Constantine
James, Bryan
Knopman, David
Patusky, Christopher
Kane, Rosalie A
Karlan, Pamela S
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Abstract

This article addresses an emerging policy problem in the United States participation in the electoral process by citizens with dementia. At present, health care professionals, family caregivers, and long-term care staff lack adequate guidance to decide whether individuals with dementia should be precluded from or assisted in casting a ballot. Voting by persons with dementia raises a series of important questions about the autonomy of individuals with dementia, the integrity of the electoral process, and the prevention of fraud. Three subsidiary issues warrant special attention: development of a method to assess capacity to vote; identification of appropriate kinds of assistance to enable persons with cognitive impairment to vote; and formulation of uniform and workable policies for voting in long-term care settings. In some instances, extrapolation from existing policies and research permits reasonable recommendations to guide policy and practice. However, in other instances, additional research is necessary.

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2004-09-01
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Suggested Citation: Karlawish J.H., Bonnie R.J., Appelbaum P.S., Lyketsos C., James B., Knopman D., Patusky C., Kane R.A, and Karlan R.S. (2004) Addressing the ethical, legal, and social issues raised by voting by persons with dementia. JAMA Vol. 292(11). pp.1345-50. http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/292/11/1345
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