Jimmy Carter Hopes to Live Long Enough to Vote for Kamala Harris as President

Jimmy Carter is approaching his 100th birthday on October 1. However, loved ones reveal that he has a different milestone in mind: voting for Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election.

Carter has been in hospice care for a year and a half. His condition has remained relatively stable since February 2023, although he is “no longer awake every day,” according to his grandson, Jason Carter. However, recently, Jason has shared a more optimistic update about the 39th U.S. president’s health.

While promoting a tribute concert for his grandfather’s birthday, Jason told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Jimmy has been “more alert and interested in politics and the war in Gaza” recently. This suggests that, despite his health issues, Carter is still deeply engaged with current events.

Previously, Jason mentioned that the former president has both good and bad days, making it unpredictable what state he will be in when family visits. This week, when Jimmy’s son Chip Carter asked him if he wants to live to see his 100th birthday, Jimmy replied, “I’m only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris,” according to Jason.

The 2024 presidential election is still months away, but Carter wouldn’t have to wait until November 5 to cast his ballot. Early voting in Georgia starts on October 15, and absentee ballots can be sent out up to 29 days before the election. Importantly, Georgia does not have any laws that prevent a ballot from being counted if someone passes away between early voting and Election Day.

A Democrat who served as president from 1977 to 1981, Jimmy Carter has earned bipartisan respect for his post-presidency humanitarian efforts. Although he remained relatively quiet about politics for some time, he became more vocal during Donald Trump’s presidency. In a 2018 interview with CBS News, Carter criticized Trump for being “very careless with the truth,” contrasting it with his own presidency’s commitment to honesty.

Carter also expressed his thoughts in a Washington Post interview, calling Trump “a disaster” in terms of human rights and equality. His wife, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, added that Trump’s dishonesty “hurts everything.”

When Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were elected in 2020, Jimmy expressed his optimism. “Rosalynn joins me in congratulating our friends President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris,” he said in a statement. “We are proud of their well-run campaign and look forward to seeing the positive change they bring to our nation.”

Georgia, a pivotal swing state with 16 Electoral College votes, will play a crucial role in the 2024 presidential election between Harris and Trump. In 2020, Biden and Harris won Georgia by a narrow margin of 11,779 votes, or 0.23%.

Jimmy Carter’s deep connection to Georgia’s politics dates back to his tenure as the state’s governor. During his 1971 inauguration speech, he declared that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” He has consistently advocated for both racial and gender equality, supporting the Equal Rights Amendment and leaving the Southern Baptist Church in 2000 when they barred women from serving as pastors.

As president, Carter nominated the first Black woman to the U.S. Cabinet. He has since witnessed significant milestones, including the election of the first Black female Senator, the first Black female Supreme Court Justice, and the first Black female Vice President.

Carter’s unexpected longevity in hospice care has allowed him to see yet another historic moment: the nomination of the first Black woman for president by a major party on August 2.

Source: Southern Living, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, CBS News, Washington Post