Get started with
micca climate change library
Get started with
micca climate change library
Get out the vote!
Now that DNC & RNC is done, it is our job to make sure that our peers and patients VOTE!
We know that health professional find it hard to make it to the polls so please:
PRINT one of these posters to display in your office today!
ORDER buttons or stickers to wear using these GOTV images!
Note: If you choose an image with the QR code, people can check their registration and/or order a ballot using their phones.
For your convenience, download whatever design(s) you like and then upload them to the company that prints custom buttons or stickers.
Below are a list of companies that print stickers and buttons.
Campaign Goals:
-
Increase voter turnout-- especially among health professionals, youth, Indigenous people & people of color.
​
-
Encourage voters to vote for those who support strong action on climate change in order to protect personal & public health.
​
-
Make the connection between health outcomes and access & participation of voting.
Scan the QR Code
or go to:
https://vot-er.org/act/
VOTING IS A SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH!
Background:
The American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, the American Public Health Association, and the Society for Public Health Education all identify voting as a social determinant of health.
The Health & Democracy Index demonstrates that states with more inclusive voting policies and higher levels of voter participation enjoy better public health outcomes.
“Perhaps most surprising
and concerning is that
healthcare workers themselves, including physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and dentists are 12-23% less likely to vote
than the general population.”
- Civic Health
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
2024 is a critical year for civic engagement. We know that voting is a foundational social determinant of health and that those hit first and worst by climate change are also usually disenfranchised by multiple structural barriers. As a trusted messenger on health, we can help our patients and colleagues understand the link between their health and civic participation. Political candidates also need to know that the climate crisis is a health crisis that requires urgent and equitable action.
These resources can help you take action on multiple levels — from interactions with your patients and colleagues to those with candidates.
Talk to your patients:
By providing resources on voting and voter registration to your patients — particularly if you serve communities already burdened by environmental inequities — you can support greater civic engagement in communities at the local, state, and federal levels. To learn more about the environmental health burdens in your community as you consider the health threats your patients face, you can use the EPA’s Environmental Justice mapping tool.
Vot-ER Resources
Vot-ER develops nonpartisan civic engagement tools and programs for every corner of the healthcare system—from private practitioners to medical schools to hospitals.
Conversation Starters
Made in collaboration with voting experts and health care professionals, Vot-ER’s voter scripts (available in English and Spanish) are nonpartisan, research-backed, and appropriate for most clinical settings. Find training videos on how to initiate these conversations with different kinds of patients here.
In addition to using Vot-ER’s resources, you can:
-
Help your hospitalized patients apply for an Emergency Absentee Ballot
-
Place RxVote Prescriptions from the Civic Health Alliance (available in English and Spanish) in your units/clinics, hand them out to patients in the waiting room, or distribute them at an upcoming conference
Talk to Your Colleagues AND Organization:
Research has shown that eligible physicians and other healthcare professionals are less likely to vote than the general population.
Voting significantly impacts our communities’ health by influencing policies affecting our well-being. As healthcare professionals, we recognize that voting is a crucial social determinant of health, enabling us to address the broader factors influencing patient well-being beyond the confines of the exam room. We can lead by example, encouraging voter engagement among our colleagues to foster a healthier society.
Lead by Example and Encourage Your Colleagues to Vote
Take the We Will Vote Pledge
​
Join the Thrive Through Civic Health: We Will Vote (WWV) pledge initiative led by the Civic Health Alliance, Healthy Democracy Healthy People, and Vot-ER.
Join your colleagues across the health sector to assert: We Will Vote.
Pledge to vote in upcoming elections, encourage others to do the same, and support elections through volunteer roles in your community.​
Healthy Democracy Campaign
​
The Healthy Democracy Campaign (HDC) is a voter registration drive led by students in medical school and other healthcare ed programs. Vot-ER provides each school team with badges, training, customized online resources for voters, and more. Each team will also be paired with a Vot-ER organizer who will support them throughout the campaign.
Enlist Your Organization to Support Civic Engagement
Present About Civic Health and Vot-ER
​
Help colleagues and leaders at your institution understand the link between health, voting, and the social and structural determinants of health using this presentation from Vot-ER and MSCCH. Plus, introduce them to the benefits of Vot-ER and healthcare-based voter registration.
Also consider using the 2024 Resident & Trainee Voting Guide from The Medical Society Consortium on Health & Climate!
​
Talk to Policymakers:
We need our leaders to recognize that the climate crisis is a health crisis and to take strong action to achieve equitable and healthy climate solutions.
This new guide from the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health provides five questions that every candidate, regardless of political party, should be asked about their plans to address climate change as a crisis of health and equity.
How to take action and use these questions:
​
- Candidates participate in many events and forums, which are either sponsored by community-based and political organizations or hosted by their own campaign. Sign up to participate—see if you can send in questions in advance or sign up to ask a question. To find events, you can sign up for candidates’ mailing lists, reach out directly, or use an online resource. If you’re with a 501(c)(3), make sure you first understand the legal limitations of your organization. Bolder Advocacy has a good resource to start with.
​
- Consider emailing these questions to all candidates from each party running for office (to remain nonpartisan). Ask them to read it or ask if they’d like to discuss it on a call.
​
- Consider choosing 1-2 questions, re-formatting them as a brief op-ed or letter to the editor, and submitting it to a local media outlet. Share the questions with local organizations and ask if they can disseminate.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​​
​​​​
​
​
- When communicating with candidates, consider including your own perspective as a provider or public health professional— how have you seen climate change impact health firsthand?​
​
- Consider hosting your own virtual, nonpartisan candidate forum to learn about the views of many candidates. If a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, ensure that you understand the legal guidelines and guidance—here’s a good resource to start with.
​
- Share these questions with your colleagues and on social media.
​
- Visit your candidates’ website and review their position on climate change. See if these questions can be answered through their stated policies on climate.