Jimmy Carter Fulfills Final Wish by Casting Ballot for Kamala Harris: 'It Was a Good Morning for Him'

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:ALEX BRANDON/POOL/AFP via Getty; Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty

ALEX BRANDON/POOL/AFP via Getty; Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty

Jimmy Cartervoiced one remaining wish as he neared 20 months in hospice care, and he just fulfilled it.

The former president, whoturned 100on Oct. 1, previously revealed to family that he had one last goal before he dies: “I’m only trying to make it to vote forKamala Harris,“Jimmy said, according to grandsonJason Carter.

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, his wish came true. The longest-living U.S. president filled out a ballot for Harris, 59, which was placed in a dropbox at the Sumter County Courthouse near his hometown of Plains, Ga., Jason andChip Carterconfirmed toThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“I think he feels good,” Chip, 74, said about his dad — who has been in hospice care since February 2023 — filling out the ballot. “It was a good morning for him and good for us that he got it done.”

When asked if his father voted for Harris, Chip responded “absolutely,” saying, “He’s never voted for a Republican in his life.”

David Paul Morris/getty

At theDemocratic National Conventionin August, Jason, 49, explained why he and his grandfather were throwing their support behind Harris.

“Kamala Harris carries my grandfather’s legacy,” he said on stage. “She knows what is right, and she fights for it. She understands that leadership is about service, not about selfishness. That you can show strength and demonstrate decency. And that you can get a whole lot more done with a smile than with a scowl.”

While Jason’s grandfather just voted in what the family acknowledges could be his final election, his son Henry — who just turned 18 — looks forward to participating in his first.

“I am excited about this year’s election because it will be my first time able to vote,“Henry told PEOPLEon Tuesday, Sept 17. “And that means a lot.”

Georgia is a key swing state in the 2024 presidential election, carrying 16 electoral votes. Polling shows Harris in a tight race with former PresidentDonald Trump, with no clear front-runner in the state.

source: people.com