100-Year-Old Former President Jimmy Carter Voting Hope Sparks Controversy In Georgia

Former US President Jimmy Carter, now 100 years old and in hospice care, expressed a desire to cast his vote, particularly for Vice President Kamala Harris. His grandson, Jason Carter, revealed this hope, stating that the former president told his son, Chip, “I’m only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris.”

Recently, images of Carter waiting in line to vote ignited a wave of online criticism. Many netizens expressed concern about his physical condition, with one user stating, “The Kamala campaign is planning to harvest Jimmy Carter’s ballot today at the hospice facility where he’s being kept. Someone in Carter’s physical and mental state is unable to vote. He’s non-verbal, can’t move, and isn’t even aware he’s alive. This is criminal and disgusting.” Another user remarked on the situation, calling it “sad and degrading” to see him wheeled out in such a condition.

As early voting commenced in Georgia, over 250,000 ballots were cast by 4 p.m. on the first day, nearly doubling the turnout from 2020. Georgia, a critical swing state, was a focal point in the contentious 2020 election, where Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden. Trump is currently vying to reclaim the state in the upcoming 2024 race. However, early polling indicates that Harris may have an advantage, with her popularity rising among Georgia voters.

In related news, a Georgia judge temporarily blocked a new rule requiring poll workers to hand-count ballots in the upcoming election. This rule was advocated by Trump’s Republican allies after his 2020 defeat. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney stated, “No election superintendent (or member of a board of elections and registration) may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstance,” according to a CNN report.

Carter, the oldest living former president, has been in hospice care for over 19 months, as announced by his family in February 2023. Jason Carter noted that his grandfather remains “more alert and interested in politics and the war in Gaza” and is emotionally engaged, still able to laugh and express love.