Far-Right Election Groups Target Nursing Homes Ahead of Midterms
Inspired by recent Trump administration guidance, right-wing election groups are targeting nursing homes with baselessly claimed allegations of left-wing voter fraud.
Radwan AbdulhadiEditor and technology writer
New Targets in the Midterms
With just weeks remaining before the midterms, election denial groups have expanded their focus to include nursing homes, care facilities, and assisted-living spaces. Led by the right-wing Election Integrity Network, these organizations claim without evidence that left-wing entities are committing voter fraud inside residential facilities.
Cleta Mitchell, founder of the Election Integrity Network, recently made remarks on Steve Bannon’s War Room show alleging that left-wing groups enter group homes to steal the votes of vulnerable citizens. Mitchell cited a 2000 Wisconsin case involving care home residents, though the Wisconsin Election Commission rejected the claims.
Mobilizing Followers via Toolkits and Social Media
The Election Integrity Network has been urging supporters to download toolkits from its website to email and call local nursing homes. Additionally, the group has shared multiple social media graphics to promote the narrative of widespread nursing home voter fraud.
As part of these campaigns, the network mapped residential care facilities across competitive congressional districts in states such as Arizona, California, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, warning that vulnerable residents might become targets for political predators.
Trump Administration Guidance and CMS Memo
This coordinated focus forms part of a broader effort by election denial groups aiming to undermine trust in the midterms. These narratives have been supercharged by actions from the Trump administration, mirroring past claims surrounding mail-in ballots and noncitizen voting.
In July, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a memo removing previous guidance detailing how nursing home staff could assist residents with voting, such as providing mail-in ballot assistance or organizing transportation to polling stations. The revised memo introduced threats of prosecution if staff engage in inappropriate coercion or violate residents' rights.
Although the memo claimed the agency was aware of unlawful violations, the cited examples did not result in any proven instances of voter fraud. CMS did not respond to requests for comment regarding the policy update.
Legislative Pushback and Alternative Campaigns
In August, lawmakers led by senators Elizabeth Warren and Alex Padilla strongly criticized the adjustments in a formal letter to CMS administrator Mehmet Oz. The senators asserted that the updated guidelines would intimidate staff and ultimately disenfranchise the nation's 2 million nursing home residents rather than protect them.
Other groups have also launched parallel operations. New York-based Project Civica initiated an "Adopt a Care Facility" campaign, repeating Wisconsin voter fraud claims while noting that while older voter registrations are not inherently illegal, they raise administrative questions about facility processes.
Sources
- WIREDFar-Right Election Groups Are Now Targeting Nursing Homes
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