Story and Photo by
Richard Stephens, Jr.
Early voting
Seniors were out in force during the early voting period of the general election, October 30-November 2, and on election day. Senior News & Living wanted to know senior’s (age 65 and older) voting habits and thoughts on issues, so we visited them as they waited – often long waits – at three early voting locations.
One hundred and five seniors at the Multipurpose Activity Center (MAC) in Mitch Park, Edmond, Oklahoma County, the Moore Norman Technology Center (MNTC) and Moore Public Library in Cleveland County were asked six questions. Answers to most questions had a range of “1” (low) to “5” (high). The Oklahoma Election Board has not released results yet of senior voting participation.
While waiting, often three to four hours in line, they shared their thoughts. “Very encouraging that so many people would take this long in line to exercise their right to vote,” said John Caldwell of Edmond. Mr. Devoss of Edmond was concerned the results might turn to violence. “I just hope that the election outcome is peaceful,” he said. Several people had views similar to one by Valieta Diann Baker of Norman. “Our nation is in trouble because of the problems we are facing,” she said. “Thoughts and prayers for our nation.”
Survey
The first two questions asked how important is it to vote for local (Oklahoma) and for national (congressional, presidential) candidates in primaries or general elections. Ninety percent of respondents selected “5” (high) for local elections and 97% for national candidates. These high percentages may not be a good indicator of all seniors though, because these seniors thought voting was important enough to wait in line three to four hours. In an effort to know senior voting frequency, we asked how many voted in the last four years. Results showed in 2020 (84% said yes), 2021 (69% – probably because of COVID-19), 2022 (80%) and 2023 (74%).
When asked, “How much more important is voting for president this year than in 2016 or 2020,” 93% gave a “5”, 4% gave a “3” and 3% rated that lower. Perhaps political rhetoric from major political parties made voters think the stakes were higher in 2024. For the fifth question, “How contentious (disagreeable) are politics now?”, 82% rated that a “5”, 10% a “4” and 6% a “3” in response. “What do you think is the biggest problem facing our country?” was the final question. (While only one response was allowed, most people asked if they could circle more than one problem)!
The top three issued identified were: illegal immigration (36%), fake or inaccurate national news (16%), and right-wing extremism (13%). Responses for question six are in the box.
