General election day in the U.S. is on November 3, 2026. If you live in a nursing home, federal nursing home rules say that you have the same rights as any other citizen of the United States—this includes your right to vote!
Federal laws state that voters with disabilities can receive help from a person of their choice, and people with disabilities must be able to enter the polling place. If stairs or other barriers prevent people with disabilities from entering a voting place, voters must be provided a way to vote on Election Day.
Ask the long-term care facility where your loved one is staying what plan they have in place to ensure residents can vote. This could include providing direct support to residents and/or coordinating with state programs that provide help to those living in residential facilities. You should also have a plan for your loved one. This could include absentee ballots, mail-in ballots, and early voting.
In July 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued Quality and Safety Special Alert Memorandum QSSAM-26-04-NH, updating and stating that prior rules remain in effect. CMS states that nursing homes must ensure residents can vote and must protect residents from interference, coercion, discrimination, reprisal, and undue influence. A resident’s decision not to vote in an election must also be respected.
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities must help you to vote. This means they should:
- Ask you if you want to vote and help anyone who says yes.
- Be sure that the staff does not decide on their own who can vote.
- Help you get help to vote if needed.
- Assist with voter identification requirements, including getting an acceptable form of identification if necessary.
- Help you determine whether you are registered to vote and whether your voter registration is up to date, including your address.
- Provide and assist with your mail-in voting or absentee ballot request forms and ballots if you are not planning to vote in person.
- Provide stamps, envelopes, and other materials you may need if you are using a mail-in or absentee ballot.
- Arrange transportation to your polling site if you want to vote in person.