There are over five million nurses in the United States! It is essential that we use our enormous opportunity, potential, and power to make a difference by standing with our patients and voting for health. If the Covid pandemic taught us anything – it was that those in power determine what we have for ourselves and our patients. Do you remember when we had no masks, ventilators, vaccines, or treatments? Those we elected decided what we should/could/would have for ourselves and our patients. 

We see the effects of our laws and policies on social injustice in our patients and communities every day: patients with poor health, housing, food, education, and resources. Yet, we often do not recognize that we can do something about this. We can make civic engagement a part of our nursing practice. Nurses are consistently voted the most trusted profession. Why not use this trust to prove we have the knowledge and experience to know what is best for our healthcare system and patients? We can fight against these injustices by voting for people and policies to make this world better for ourselves and our patients.

Use Your Voice and Vote

You can register to vote in the state where you live on Vote.org. This site will give you all the information you need. Vote.org is a non-profit, non-partisan online platform where you can register to vote, confirm or change your registration, request a mail-in ballot, and find your polling place.

Who is Running in the Election?

There will be many primary elections held in 2024. You can find the dates for the Presidential primaries here and your state primaries here. In 2024 the following national, state, and local elections will be held on November 5, 2024:

• US President
• 33 Senate seats
• All 435 House seats
• 11 State Governors
• Nine Lieutenant Governors
• 100 Attorney Generals
• Seven Secretaries of State
• 163 State Executive seats in 30 states

You can find who is running in your district on Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia is a nonprofit, nonpartisan online resource that covers federal, state, and local elections, ballot initiatives, and the candidates’ positions on issues. If the candidate has previously held office, you can see which committees they were on and what they voted for. It also shows you who their opponents, donors, and endorsements are.

In addition to National elections, pay close attention to your state and local elections this year. They will be the ones who determine the current urgent health policies, especially concerning reproductive rights, which have been left to states to decide since Roe vs. Wade was overturned in June 2022. School board elections are also crucial this year, where challenges about book bans, curriculum, gender, and LGBTQ rights are being decided. Twelve states may have ballot initiatives on abortion.

You will need to research the candidates on your ballot to determine where they stand on all critical healthcare policy issues: healthcare, access to care, health equity, reproductive rights, climate change, gun safety, LBGTQ rights, gender-affirming care, social services, Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, prescription costs, and funding for nursing education. This information should be on each candidate’s website.

Encouraging Patients to Vote

Voting is a public health issue. Voting impacts all aspects of life. Research shows that voting is associated with better health. “States with more inclusive voting policies and greater levels of civic participation are healthier.” Voting helps people develop a sense of belonging and feel a part of a community—disparities in voting lead to disparities in laws. The American Medical Association (AMA) approved a resolution that considers safe and equitable access to voting as a social determinant of health. Nurses for America (NFA) advocates for safe and equitable access to voting as a social determinant of health.

The AMA, ANA, and NFA are all supporters of Vot-ER.  Vot-ER is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization developed to integrate civic engagement into healthcare. Vot-ER was founded in 2019 by Dr. Alister Martin, an ER physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Martin founded Vot-ER because he firmly believes that helping people vote gives them a voice in healthcare. Vot-ER is now in over 700 hospitals and clinics and has organized over 50,000 healthcare providers to register patients to vote. Nonpartisan voter registration is a way to advance health equity and is allowed under federal law.

You can be a part of this movement. Check if your hospital or clinic has joined Vot-ER. If not, you can help get them involved. Get a Vot-ER Badge here and start registering your patients and colleagues.

Remember, we’ve had the power all along!