Voter turnout in the 2020 election was incredible. In fact, it was the highest it’s been in 120 years! U.S. citizens clearly wanted to make sure their voices were heard, and many went to great lengths to cast their vote – in a pandemic, no less!
While every voter deserves a pat on the back for doing their civic duty, one group stands out among the rest: the 100 and over crowd. This year, there were all kinds of inspirational stories of seniors who headed out to cast their vote. Here are nine everyday heroes who did just that!
1. Vincenta Cooper, a 100-year-old from Knoxville, Tennessee, took advantage of the opportunity to vote thanks to a polling station that was set up in her assisted living facility.
2. Helen Bookman, who is almost 101 lives in Tahoka, Texas, and is her county’s oldest voter this year. She’s been voting since she was 20 and wasn’t going to sit out of this election.
3. Sgt. Dorothy “Dot”Cole is the country’s oldest living Marine at 107. Despite her age, she went out to cast her vote in Kannapolis, North Carolina.
4. In Chicago, Illinois, 102-year-old Bea Lumpkin dressed in full PPE to safely drop off her absentee ballot. Not even a global pandemic could end her perfect voting record!
5. At 100 years old, Marie Brooks cast her ballot in person in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Her tip for voters, whether their candidate wins or loses, is to “just be happy.”
6. Not only did Sara Muniz refuse to sit out of the 2020 election, but she also took time out of her 106th birthday to cast her vote in San Antonio, Texas.
7. Ruth, who is 104, cast her vote early and her experience was documented on Twitter by her friend. Afterward, she was met with cheers and applause from people who were still waiting to vote themselves – and it brought her to tears!
8. Anna Mae Snyder is just shy of 102 and is her county’s oldest voter in 2020. She was thrilled to get to vote in Pennsylvania and said voting is “a privilege.”
9. Rose Cope is 103 and has voted in every election since 1936. This year, she headed to the polls in person on election day to fill out her ballot, keeping her record going strong.
How amazing are these voters?! Thank you to each and every one of you for reminding us how important it is to make our voices heard!
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