BILLINGS — In Montana’s 2024 election cycle, senior citizens are finding themselves navigating the complexities of political donations, but may inadvertently contribute to political campaigns multiple times due to confusing donation practices, according to a recent investigation.
As political ads flood mailboxes and social media feeds, it’s becoming increasingly challenging for seniors to escape the onslaught of political messaging.
“I like many people that I know. I'm very tired of it. It'd be good to have it over,” said Mauren Fiksdal. "I don't know what are lies and what aren’t lies."
Many receive fliers in the main or a wave of messages on their phones that seem unavoidable.
“In the mail today, for instance, I think I got four," said Ardell Grimm. "They're on my phone, but they just go to the junk pile.”
Despite this, some, like Dick and Carolyn Dye, continue to donate frequently.
“It’s something we desire to do, to support our candidates,” they shared, often sending checks to express their support.
However, a recent investigation by CNN uncovered a concerning trend: dozens of seniors, particularly those experiencing cognitive decline, have donated an estimated $6 million to political campaigns without realizing it. The issue stems from automated donation systems, where a simple checkbox often remains checked to donate that amount each month. Many seniors don’t realize they need to uncheck a box to stop recurring monthly donations.
“There is too much of it is going on, and I can't understand why something can't be done,” said Carolyn, voicing her concern.
This year's election cycle in Montana has been one of the highest spending to date. According to the non-partisan group OpenSecrets, Senate candidate John Tester has raised $86,679,783 in contributions, and opponent Tim Sheehy has raised $25,835,808. In Montana alone, the highest industry of donors are retirees with over $8 million being donated.
“Folks like to give, and especially our older adults in our community know that giving back's important, they're really tempted to give to whatever kind of comes along that touches their heart," said Tyler Amundson, executive director of Big Sky Senior Services in Billings.
However, Amundson cautioned that seniors with memory issues, like dementia and Alzheimer's, might mistakenly believe that candidates are personally reaching out to them, complicating their decision-making. Messages using second-person language, like 'I want you to vote,' can be deceiving.
“Folks who didn't grow up with text messages don't know that there's a massive platform generating those, so they might actually believe that there's somebody helping or wanting their attention," said Amundson. “The idea is to get you to give and keep giving, and so there's no incentive for that language to change or be different, especially for political campaigns.”
A large issue the investigation pointed out was that several boxes asking for monthly donations on online donation pages were automatically checked and easily missed. While currently the boxes for major election campaigns in Montana, like the senate and governor races, are left unchecked upon visiting the donation websites, current campaign finance laws do not prevent organizations from leaving those donation boxes checked, leaving seniors vulnerable to unintended contributions.
“When you live on a fixed income, you have to watch your pennies a little more,” remarked Grimm.
For senior citizens, staying informed is crucial. However, there are ways to keep you or your loved ones safe. Big Sky Senior Services highlights that scammers often impersonate candidates, so if you wish to donate, it's important to go directly to the official source.
“Go directly to the source. If you're serious about giving to a political campaign or to any donation of any kind, to go online and find their website and click on their donation button and do it through there and not do it through texting or that kind of avenue,” said Amundson.
As the election season continues, seniors should navigate the landscape of political donations with care. Awareness and education can help ensure that their contributions truly reflect their intentions and that thousands of dollars are not being spent unwillingly.
