Lee County elections team visits assisted living facility to help older voters register

The Lee County Supervisor of Elections team visited American House in Bonita Springs, one of 50 assisted living facilities they have visited since January, to educate older voters on how to register and vote.

Nancy Gusse, a resident of the facility, shared her appreciation for the visit.

"Well, they're here, and that's the huge thing for me is that probably wouldn't have remembered to vote otherwise or to register," Gusse said.

The initiative focuses on making voting accessible for elderly residents. Lee County Supervisor of Elections Jenna Persons-Mulicka explained the importance of meeting voters where they are.

"Many of our elderly population, they don't go online or on the websites, or they don't know what number to call," Persons-Mulicka said. "We wanted to make sure that we had a physical presence and came to them with the information."

During the visit, the team worked with residents in both the independent and assisted living wings, helping them update voter registrations, signatures, and learn about vote-by-mail options. In the 2024 primary, 72% of Lee County voters used mail-in ballots, but voters must submit a new vote-by-mail request for each election cycle.

Louise Frattarelli, another resident, reflected on the significance of the visit.

"As you age, it's just a natural assumption sometimes, do we really have any input?" Frattarelli said. "Today truly validates that yes, we do, and our votes count."

The deadline to register to vote in the August primary is July 20, and vote-by-mail ballot requests must be submitted by Aug. 6.