In every clinic and hospital across America, there’s untapped potential to strengthen our democracy.
Vot-ER is revolutionizing voter engagement by transforming routine healthcare visits into opportunities for civic empowerment, partnering with trusted health professionals, and reaching historically underrepresented communities.
Join the civic health movement
healthcare professionals
I interact with patients on a daily basis
healthcare administrators
I am in healthcare but don’t work with patients
graduate students
I am currently in graduate school or residency
advocates
I love this work but don’t work in healthcare
We can heal our communities through an inclusive democracy.
Similarly to the Departments of Motor Vehicles, healthcare facilities can play an integral role in nonpartisan voter registration. Health touchpoints — like the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Massachusetts General Hospital, AltaMed Health Services, and 700+ more — have become a crucial part of the puzzle to keep voter registration information up to date and ensure that patient voices are included in local, state, and federal decisions. Join the movement today with a new kind of prescription: a healthier democracy.
Voting impacts our health
80% of health outcomes are determined beyond clinical walls. The American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognize voting as a social determinant of health. Through civic engagement, we can not just treat symptoms but tackle the root causes of public health outcomes together.
Most people don’t vote because
they have never been asked
62% of unregistered voters haven’t registered simply because no one has ever asked them. With 83% of people in the U.S. visiting a medical facility each year, healthcare settings present a unique opportunity to change this. By integrating voter registration into patient interactions, we not only help eligible people register but also build deeper trust between providers and patients. When asked about voter registration during a visit, patients have reported feeling more deeply cared about and supported in more ways than just their health.
Heal your community
We know that communities with more inclusive voting policies and greater levels of civic participation are healthier. Together, we can uplift patients voices in shaping local, state, & federal health policy, through the power of their vote. Research shows that voter registration and turnout, especially in local elections, has a direct impact on health and public investment in health.
Spaces like healthcare facilities have been encouraged to conduct voter registration activities since the 1993 Voter Registration Act, the same law that designated DMVs and state offices that provide public assistance as voter registration agencies.
Because patients input their own information in an opt-in fashion, this information is not subject to HIPAA regulations. Learn more here.
All public healthcare institutions and public or private nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organizations can operate voter registration drives in a nonpartisan way, “without reference to any candidate or political party.”
The Health Resources & Services Administration division of HHS provides federal guidances stating, “Health centers have discretion, to the extent permitted by applicable law, to support nonpartisan voter registration efforts as a means of reducing barriers to civic engagement within the communities they serve.”
Featured In
Vot-ER is proud to be recognized for our nonpartisan reach and impact.
For press inquiries, please contact press@vot-er.org.
Vot-ER badges are an easy way for health professionals to integrate civic engagement into their practice.
Every August, join over 300 healthcare facilities and civic organizations as we unite to celebrate Civic Health Month.
Donate
Ensure every eligible voter is registered to vote. With your support, Vot-ER will bring civic engagement to every corner of our healthcare system.