This semester’s update is a guest entry from HERO Deputy Director Catherine Harrison
It’s election season, and as health and healthcare professionals, we know that health is always on the ballot. Policies that determine our systems of housing, education, employment, food and agriculture, environmental health, and more have profound impacts on the health of our patients and communities. And while there are many important ways to influence policy decisions, one of the most basic is through the ballot box. Whether it’s a Presidential election or local school board referendum, voting is a critical means to assure the conditions for all people to be healthy.
In fact, voting itself is a social determinant of health. Research shows that states with more inclusive voting practices (same day registration, absentee voting, early voting) have better health outcomes on a variety of common public health indicators.
And yet: research also shows that healthcare workers are 12-23% less likely to vote than the general population. This means that in 2020, when 66% of the eligible voting population cast a ballot, only 43-54% of healthcare workers turned out to vote. This is deeply concerning, especially because the 2020 election had the highest turnout of an election in our modern history. As health professionals, practitioners, researchers, educators and students, we can and must do better. We must “walk the talk” that we tell our patients, communities, and each other about the connection between civic engagement and health.
That is why our Health Emergency Response Office is proud and excited to be part of We Will Vote, a national, nonpartisan campaign to mobilize the health sector to vote in this year’s elections. We, along with other individuals across the country, have taken the pledge to vote, and we urge you to do so as well. Reasons for not voting range from feelings of apathy to scheduling and residency barriers. By taking this pledge, you are more likely to make a plan and follow through on your commitment to vote. Furthermore, you set an example for your students, patients, classmates, and communities that voting is public health.
Easiest of all, there are many many resources to support that pledge, and Minnesota is a very vote-friendly state! Check out these websites for more information, resources and answers to just about any question you may have.
- M-Vote: The University’s new page with information for students, staff and faculty
- mnvotes.gov: The MN Secretary of State’s website with everything you need to register, find your polling place or get your questions answered, including materials in 11 languages.
We Will Vote MN: Healthy Democracy, Healthy People’s Minnesota specific page to learn more about the links between voting and health and get materials and resources to share with your communities. And take the pledge!