The Value of a Vote
Divya Shenoy, MD
With midterm elections upon us, the time is now for family physicians and patients to come together at the ballot box. A number of ballot initiatives focus on the health of individuals and families, while others dictate how physicians can practice medicine. Views on specific issues may differ, but voting is a public health and equity issue. Family physicians are uniquely situated to model nonpartisan civic engagement and help empower our patients and communities to use their vote to improve lives.
The United States has historically experienced lower voter turnout than other developed democracies, and physicians as a subgroup have historically had lower than average voter turnout. Over the last few years, this trend has reversed, with physicians having similar turnout to the general population in 2018, and higher turnout in 2020 (Ahmed, 2022). The COVID pandemic, disinformation around science, healthcare reform and a number of other issues have fueled more physicians into action. Seventeen physicians currently serve in the US House and Senate, with many more running for office in 2022. As respected leaders in society, it is laudable that many physicians use their platform for public service. Still, we must not forget the impact of the advocacy we can do from the exam room.
Family physicians play a key role in engaging with our patients and communities, especially those who have been historically disenfranchised. Studies show an association between voting and health, where individuals who are less likely to vote also experience worse health outcomes (Brown, 2020). Many of these adverse health outcomes are shaped by socioeconomic disadvantage and lack of insurance, and disproportionally affect communities of color. In California, eligible Latinx voters are underrepresented: this population makes up only 22% of those likely to vote, while comprising 35% of the California adult population (PPIC, 2022). We as physicians can encourage these underrepresented voices be heard in the electorate, which may then spark system-level changes and promote health.
Family physicians, as a trusted point of contact for our communities, are crucial in helping get out the vote. Federal law allows health care providers and nonprofit hospitals to encourage patients, staff and communities to register to vote. Nonpartisan voter engagement efforts can be made at the facility level, but even a simple statement in the exam room can be impactful. “Before I leave, I’d like to check if you’ll be voting this November” is a simple talking point from Vot-ER, a nonpartisan organization working to integrate voter education and registration into healthcare settings. Additional talking points, including those for undocumented patients, can be found at their web site.
It goes without saying that most Los Angeles Academy Family Physicians are civic-minded. For those who can vote, I implore you not to take your vote for granted. On a personal level, I am moving out of California to Washington, D.C., where I will unfortunately lose representation at the federal level. Nevertheless, I will continue to stay involved in my Academy, encourage my patients to vote at the local level, and strive toward an inclusive democracy.
Resources
- Ahmed A, Chouairi F, Li X. Analysis of Reported Voting Behaviors of US Physicians, 2000-2020. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(1):e2142527. https://doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.42527
- Brown, C.L., Raza, D. & Pinto, A.D. Voting, health and interventions in healthcare settings: a scoping review. Public Health Rev 41, 16 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40985-020-00133-6
- Public Policy Institute of California: https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-likely-voters/
- https://vot-er.org/
