A survey of voter participation by cognitively impaired elderly patients.

The authors surveyed 100 outpatients with dementia during the 2 months following the November 2000 US presidential election. A majority (60%) of respondents voted. Increasing severity of dementia was associated with reduced knowledge about the election as well as reduced voting participation by patients and caregivers. Actively voting persons had general knowledge about the election as evidenced by matching candidate photographs with name and party labels.