Bexar County Judge Candidates Answer Older Voters' Questions in AARP Voter Guide
AARP Texas put the same three questions to the candidates for Bexar County judge — disaster preparedness, family caregiving and aging in place — and published their video answers Saturday as early voting continues toward the November 3 election.
Bexar County voters choosing their next county judge can now hear the candidates answer the same three questions, in their own words, in a voter guide AARP Texas published Saturday. AARP invited the candidates to record answers on three issues it identifies as central for older residents and their families: emergency disaster preparedness, support for family caregiving, and aging in place. The guide, published by Live From The Southside and labeled as AARP Texas paid content, states that AARP is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates or political parties.
The guide frames the stakes with sourced local figures. Flooding is one of the San Antonio area's most common natural disasters, according to the City of San Antonio, and Bexar County notes that older adults are among those more vulnerable to extreme heat. About 5.3 million Texans — 23 percent of adults statewide — are family caregivers, helping older parents, spouses and other loved ones with everything from meals and transportation to medications and medical care. More than 14 percent of Bexar County residents are age 65 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau figures cited in the guide.
In the video, the candidates first address how Bexar County can prepare for and respond to emergencies affecting older residents, then discuss support for working family caregivers, and finally answer how older residents can remain independent in their homes and communities, with local services such as transportation, home repairs and modifications, personal assistance and emergency response systems. The guide points voters to aarp.org/txvotes for more information. Early voting runs through Friday, October 30; the October 23 deadline for the election office to receive a ballot-by-mail application has passed; Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
