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

The 39th U.S. president, who turned 100 on Oct. 1, filled out a ballot which was placed in a dropbox at the Sumter County Courthouse in Georgia

Jimmy Carter, Kamala Harris
Photo:

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

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

The former president, who turned 100 on Oct. 1, previously revealed to family that he had one last goal before he dies: "I’m only trying to make it to vote for Kamala Harris," Jimmy said, according to grandson Jason 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 and Chip Carter confirmed to The 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.”

The absentee ballot was dropped off by Chip's wife, Becky, on her father-in-law’s behalf.

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

Jason Carter, grandson of former US President Jimmy Carter, during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. The Democratic National Convention this week marks the ceremonial crowning of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as the party's presidential nominees, capping off a whirlwind month for Democrats who quickly coalesced behind the new ticket after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in July

David Paul Morris/getty

At the Democratic National Convention in 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 PEOPLE on 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 President Donald Trump, with no clear front-runner in the state.

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