Alliance Helps Seniors Get Ready for the Election

by Seth Michaels, Sep 17, 2008

The presidential election is now only 48 days away, and the Alliance for Retired Americans is making sure that seniors are mobilized to vote.

The Alliance, a grassroots organization of retirees that has taken the lead on mobilizing seniors for this fall’s election, is holding events from Washington State to Florida to make sure retirees’ issues are discussed and retirees’ votes are counted.

Sen. Barack Obama has pledged to protect Social Security benefits and eliminate income taxes for low- and middle-income seniors. McCain, meanwhile, has a record of voting against protecting Social Security and Medicare, and he supports a risky Bush-style privatization scheme. Educating retired voters about the candidates and issues is essential in an election that is expected to be close.

As part of “Retiree Roadrunner,” the Alliance’s new mobilization campaign, volunteers are engaging retired voters in 11 states, drawing attention to issues that affect seniors’ quality of life, like Medicare funding and the danger of Social Security privatization (a danger that’s all the more apparent in light of Wall Street’s unraveling this week).

The Alliance’s staff and volunteers will help register voters and inform them about early voting, vote-by-mail options and absentee voting. They’ll distribute voter guides and voting rights resources to thousands of seniors along the way, making sure seniors are informed about the issues and how to exercise their right to vote in the races for the White House and Congress.

The Alliance also is pleased that voter registration drives will now be allowed at Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. Ruben Burks, secretary-treasurer of the Alliance, says this is a great opportunity to make sure veterans have their voices heard this fall.

We have our democratic rights because of our nation’s veterans. The least we can do is help them exercise the very freedoms they helped defend.

The Alliance also is organizing “watch parties” around the four upcoming debates—three with the presidential candidates and one with their running mates. The Alliance will springboard from these debates to educate seniors on the issues and where the candidates stand. The debates are set for Sept. 26, Oct. 2, Oct. 7 and Oct. 15. (Seniors interested in hosting a debate party can call the Alliance at 1-888-373-6497.)

Bush and McCain’s Washington and Wall Street greed have left retirees at risk in this economic crisis, as they face soaring health care costs and other rising prices in addition to potentially shaky pensions. There’s a chance this fall to turn around America and make sure it’s working for people. With their nationwide efforts to ensure seniors’ right to vote, the Alliance will play a big part in making it happen.

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