Reminder of Requirements Related to Resident’s Right to Vote

A senior black man voting at a voting booth

The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) issued a recent Dear Administrator Letter emphasizing the following residents’ rights relating to the upcoming election:

• The right to vote
• The right to promptly receive unopened mail (and the right to send mail)

The facility’s responsibilities relating to this election season involve supporting and promoting the resident’s right to vote and ensuring that residents can exercise these rights without interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal.

DSHS encourages facility leadership to collaborate to ensure residents can vote should they choose to do so. Directions on how and to whom the facility should report allegations or concerns regarding voter coercion or intimation are included in the letter.