Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI)

Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, will hold a hearing today to explore how a new law could prevent seniors from voting on Super Tuesday.

The committee’s hearing is titled “Older Voters: Opportunities and Challenges for the 2008 Election.” Lawmakers are concerned that a new Voter ID law, which is pending in the Supreme Court, will disproportionately disenfranchise senior citizens next Tuesday, Feb. 5. Older adults are traditionally more likely to vote than younger citizens. Seniors’ accessibility to voting centers will also be a topic of discussion.

Among the people scheduled to testify at this hearing is Dr. Jason Karlawish, of the University of Pennsylvania, who will talk about a system for voting in long-term care facilities.

A webcast of the hearing will be available on the Committee Web page: http://www.aging.senate.gov.