How Voting Shapes Health Outcomes

Proposal: This session will explore structural determinants of health as root causes of health-related social needs, encompassing socio-economic, political, and environmental factors at regional and national levels. Specifically, we will outline the rationale behind positioning health spaces as centers of civic engagement, sharing voter registration efforts from health professional schools such as the Duke University School of Medicine, as well as hospitals and community health centers. Attendees will gain insight into the transformative impact of voting on health outcomes, emphasizing self-advocacy and framing voter registration as a Moral Determinant of Health, according to Don Berwick. Vot-ER’s nonpartisan resources for promoting voter access in healthcare centers will be showcased.

Since 2020, over 700 healthcare sites have actively promoted voting through Vot-ER’s clinic-based voter access resources. Low propensity voters and first time voters who register through Vot-ER are 20% more likely to vote than other similar registered voters. In our 2020 analysis, 12,441 voters engaged in healthcare settings demonstrated notable diversity: 41.9% were young (18-29 years), 9.6% Asian, 12.7% Hispanic, and 15.9% African American. This diversity surpassed the ANES/CES samples (p < 0.001).

Participants will hear from: Executive Director of Vot-ER: Aliya Bhatia, Assistant Director for Duke State Relations: Katie Lipe, and Duke University Internal Medicine Resident and Vot-ER Volunteer: Jon Kusner. This multi-professional team will provide comprehensive perspectives on the importance of voting and health equity.

In summary, this session explores the nexus between civic engagement and health outcomes, offering practical insights, tools, and resources for healthcare professionals to effectively engage in voter registration activities.