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AARP Delaware assists older voters prior to Tuesday's primary

Sophia Schmidt
/
Delaware Public Media

AARP Delaware is helping residents 50 and over with the different options to vote in Tuesday’s primary --and helping them make their voices heard.

This year’s primary features races up and down the state, and AARP Delaware offers seniors a place to go on their website to help navigate different voting options, as well as links to the state elections website.

AARP Delaware’s Sheila Grant says they are also reaching out to help those without web access or prefer not to use the web.

"We know not everybody's online so we did send out postcards to voters in Delaware a few weeks ago, and they should have gotten those by now with phone numbers for each of the County elections offices,” said Grant. “So that if they're not online they'll have a phone number and a way to get the information they need."

The plan will be the same for the general election in November to make sure everyone is informed and ready to vote.

And in Tuesday’s primary, Grant points to several issues seniors see as priorities

"Rising prices is the big thing we're hearing from everybody. Groceries, gas, prescription drugs really affecting people. They're also concerned about the pandemic not over yet, and they're concerned about social security and Medicare. We always hear about concerns that we will protect and strengthen those programs that people have paid into," said Grant.

Grant adds retirement savings and family caregivers struggling come up often.

She notes seniors tend to show up at the polls historically, even in primaries, and the vote by mail option helped a lot of seniors cast ballots in 2020.

Joe brings over 20 years of experience in news and radio to Delaware Public Media and the All Things Considered host position. He joined DPM in November 2019 as a reporter and fill-in ATC host after six years as a reporter and anchor at commercial radio stations in New Castle and Sussex Counties.