Assemblyman Mike Gatto’s (D- Los Angeles) AB 547, a measure to protect senior citizens from voter fraud and abuse, has been signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown and will thus take effect before the 2012 elections.
The new law makes it a misdemeanor, with stiff fines, for anyone providing care or direct supervision to a person who is at least 65 years old to coerce or deceive that senior into voting for or against a candidate or measure contrary to the senior’s intent.
This is seen as an important first step towards developing a more comprehensive policy to preserve the voting rights of California’s growing population of senior citizens, which are often subject to abuse or voter fraud. The penalties for violators (a fine of up to $10,000 and a maximum sentence of six months in jail) should be a strong deterrent.Gatto authored the legislation after hearing about the experiences of the parents and grandparents of constituents having their right to vote stolen by caretakers.
There was even a candidate for local office whose mother, in a nursing home, was coerced into not voting for her own son. Gatto is also working with the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder to reach out to seniors in assisted-living facilities, where some the most significant frauds have allegedly occurred.
Full Article: senior-spectrum.com – news.